Wausau/WI – March 30, 2007 Two initiatives to offer free digital SafeAssured IDs are currently ongoing in Marathon County. The first began in early March when the Wausau Noon Optimist Club, the Wausau Breakfast Optimist Club, the Mosinee Optimist Club, and the Everest Optimist Club partnered to begin enrolling every first grade student in all public and private schools throughout Marathon County. People’s State Bank provided a generous grant to make this enrollment of nearly 1500 children possible. The program is free for first graders and families will have the opportunity to purchase the ID kits for siblings. First grade students were selected as the lucky recipients since local Optimist Clubs currently have different projects benefiting students in other grades. Dick Rayborn, Wausau Noon Optimist Program Chairman for this SafeAssured Project, states “We are very pleased with the response by the Marathon County schools. Since we announced the program in mid-February, twenty-three of the thirty-five public and private schools contacted have signed on and have recruited PTO and other parent volunteers to assist with the enrollment. We have already completed the free enrollment in four elementary schools with the other schools scheduled for April and May.”
The second SafeAssured initiative will take place April 2nd-7th at the Corporate Cove Tower in Wausau. Ghidorzi Property Management is sponsoring free SafeAssured IDs for each business in the Corporate Tower. SafeAssured will be donating the use of three of their systems, staff, and promotional materials for these events. Volunteers from Ghidorzi Property Management and businesses in the Corporate Tower will assist in the enrollment process. Not only will the participating children go home safer with a high-tech ID, but the proceeds from this event will be donated to the North Central Wisconsin Children’s Miracle Network. 100% of the funds raised by the Children’s Miracle Network will be put to use locally in the North Central Wisconsin area to help provide programs, services, and treatment for sick and injured children. Nearly 300 children are anticipated to receive a free SafeAssured ID during this week of events. Ken Hofmaster, President of SafeAssured ID, states, “SafeAssured is proud to enable the businesses in Corporate Cove to do something special for their employees, clients, and customers. To top it off, we’re all working together to benefit sick and injured kids in Central Wisconsin.” Marathon County Sheriff, Randy Hoenisch, also wholeheartedly endorses SafeAssured ID. He states: “In a battle where reaction time is critical, I want SafeAssured ID on my side. I encourage all parents and law enforcement officials to rally together and help ensure the safety of our community by participating in and supporting SafeAssured initiatives.”
When a youth is reported missing, minutes matter. According to Ernie Allen, President and CEO of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), “Time is the enemy when it comes to recovering a missing child. A critical element to the first few hours of an investigation is for law enforcement to have a good-quality, current photograph of the missing child. NCMEC urges parents and guardians to maintain easily accessible, good-quality photographs of their children. SafeAssured helps them accomplish this.”
The SafeAssured ID kit provides families with an added sense of security and peace of mind. They receive a mini-CD that contains streaming video, a digital voiceprint, a digital photograph, a full set of digitally scanned fingerprints, and information on general physical characteristics. The mini-CD can be provided to law enforcement within moments of the child’s disappearance and all private and sensitive records are encrypted and only accessible to law enforcement. Lastly, families receive a durable, full-color photo ID card and a guidebook, written in conjunction with NCMEC, containing helpful safety tips.
For information about upcoming events or to learn how your business or organization can benefit from sponsoring a SafeAssured ID event, visit www.safeassured-id.com. For detailed product and pricing information, please contact Ken Hofmaster at khofmaster@safeassured-id.com.
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Marathon County Families to Receive Free SafeAssured IDs
About SafeAssured™
SafeAssured ID is the most comprehensive family safety program of its kind. In the event that a youth goes missing, SafeAssured ID provides families with the power to deliver media and law enforcement with immediate, holistic, and ready to broadcast information unique to the missing youth. In addition to a digital photo and personal profile, SafeAssured differs from other identification solutions by offering: full set of digital fingerprints, voice sample, and streaming video showing movement and gait. The information is stored on a mini-CD ROM that is secured with an encrypted, locked electronic code.
Not only is the program affordable, it’s easy to use. As part of a marketing strategy, hosting a SafeAssured ID event provides a high level of return in public relations, and a key differentiating factor from the competition. www.safeassured-id.com
About the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children
NCMEC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization working in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. Serving as the national clearinghouse for information and a resource center for child protection, NCMEC has worked with law enforcement on 100,000 missing child cases, resulting in the recovery of 85,000 children. NCMEC’s CyberTipline has handled more than 274,000 leads of child sexual exploitation. For more information, please visit www.missingkids.com or call 1.800.THE.LOST.
