BALLSTON SPA — Doug and Mary Lyall of Ballston Spa founded a nonprofit organization that encourages people to remember the missing.  Their 19-year-old daughter, Suzanne Lyall, a student at SUNY Albany, disappeared without a trace on March 2, 1998. Despite no resolution to the situation, the couple has remained undeterred. ”We have steadfastly held on to the hope that someday she will be returned to us,” Mary Lyall said. ”We’ll always hope our daughter and other missing children will come back home.” For years, the Lyalls have devoted themselves to finding ways to connect people whose lives have been changed by the disappearance of a loved one. They announced the establishment of The Center for Hope to promote and provide support, education and healing for survivors. Funds have been generated to fund the nonprofit center, which is endorsed by state senate, the state assembly minority and the governor’s office. The Lyalls also set up a National Remorial for Missing Persons, placed in the Capital District. The unusual name of the project was carefully chosen. ”The word ‘memorial,’ in memory of, sounded too final,” Mary Lyall said. ”We remember them every day, and every day we wait for the missing to return.  The memorial is constructed of glass blocks, each etched with the name of a missing person, illuminated by lights to convey a spirit of hope.

Pictured above is the completed memorial.  The monument, the first of its kind in the US, will serve as a meeting place where families can come to reflect, remember, and begin a healing process. In addition, the structure will serve to increase public awareness about the magnitude of the missing person problem in New York State. The Remembrance stands on the southeast corner of Madison and South Swan Streets as part of the Empire State Plaza in Albany, NY. Reached by a curving concrete path, the Remembrance is composed of a 10 ft square granite base surmounted by a 20 ft tall stainless steel sculptural frame detailed with a machine-ground finish. Engraved on the polished face of the granite base is, “AS A SYMBOL OF OUR ETERNAL HOPE MAY THIS FLAME LIGHT THEIR WAY HOME.” The top of the sculpture supports an eternal flame, literally and figuratively providing the light home.

Groundbreaking was on Missing Persons Day, Thursday, April 6, 2006.

On Tuesday October 3, 2006 an evening candlelight ceremony was held to dedicate the Remembrance.

BALLSTON SPA — Doug and Mary Lyall of Ballston Spa have founded a new nonprofit organization that encourages people to remember the missing.  Their 19-year-old daughter, Suzanne Lyall, a student at SUNY Albany, disappeared without a trace on March 2, 1998. Despite no resolution to the situation, the couple has remained undeterred. ”We have steadfastly held on to the hope that someday she will be returned to us,” Mary Lyall said. ”We’ll always hope our daughter and other missing children will come back home.” For years, the Lyalls have devoted themselves to finding ways to connect people whose lives have been changed by the disappearance of a loved one. They announced the establishment of the Center for HOPE (Healing Our Painful Emotions), to promote and provide support, education and healing for survivors. Funds have been generated to fund the nonprofit center, which is endorsed by state senate, the state assembly minority and the governor’s office. The Lyalls also have set up a National Remorial for Missing Persons, to be placed in the Capital District. The unusual name of the project was carefully chosen. ”The word ‘memorial,’ in memory of, sounded too final,” Mary Lyall said. ”We remember them every day, and every day we wait for the missing to return.  The memorial is constructed of glass blocks, each etched with the name of a missing person, illuminated by lights to convey a spirit of hope.

Pictured above is the now completed memorial.  The monument, the first of its kind in the US, will serve as a meeting place where families can come to reflect, remember, and begin a healing process. In addition, the structure will serve to increase public awareness about the magnitude of the missing person problem in New York State.  In order to promote the concept of a monument in NYS, the Lyalls met with the Director of Special Projects from the Governor’s Office, NYS Office of General Services Commissioner, and OGS Deputy Director. The idea was warmly accepted, and for the past four years they have been working with an architect and NYS OGS to develop a unique design and locate an appropriate site. NYS OGS was a moving force behind several other monuments, including the spectacular World War ll monument, unveiled at the Empire Plaza in May 2002.

The Remembrance stands on the southeast corner of Madison and South Swan Streets as part of the Empire State Plaza in Albany, NY. Reached by a curving concrete path, the Remembrance is composed of a 10 ft square granite base surmounted by a 20 ft tall stainless steel sculptural frame detailed with a machine-ground finish. Engraved on the polished face of the granite base is, “AS A SYMBOL OF OUR ETERNAL HOPE MAY THIS FLAME LIGHT THEIR WAY HOME.” The top of the sculpture supports an eternal flame, literally and figuratively providing the light home.

Groundbreaking was on Missing Persons Day, Thursday, April 6, 2006 .

On Tuesday October 3, 2006 an evening candlelight ceremony was held to dedicate the Remembrance

The Center for HOPE offers referrals and advocacy services, established an online support group, expedited the development of a national, uniform database for all missing persons and sponsors professionally run seminars for survivors. Through the work of the Lyalls and other volunteers, profound changes have been initiated in local and statewide measures regulating missing persons. The New York State Campus Safety Act and the Assault and Abduction Free School Zone bills were passed; a computerized missing person alert system was set up to relay information to booths and rest stops on the NYS Thruway; and established April 6 as Missing Persons’ Day. 

Effective Playing Cards, which has partnered with the Lyalls and the District Attorney’s Office have this message:

“Our Crime Stoppers, Law Enforcement and Prison playing cards are custom designed cards unlike any other personalized playing card produced. Each card in the deck portrays another unique profile. These custom playing cards are providing new leads for Cold Case Files, Unsolved Homicides and Missing Persons in every area they are distributed. The remarkable excitement generated by our prison playing cards will also bring incredible media coverage and exposure to your specific program, unit or business”.

Effective Playing Cards produced the first custom printed Unsolved Homicide cards with Heartland Crime Stoppers of Polk County, FL. Almost immediately after distributing these unique poker cards to the 2500 jail inmate population of Polk County, Florida, fresh leads into cold cases appeared. Special Agent Tommy Ray of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement Cold Case Assessment Team stated, “It is like interviewing all 2500 inmates about 52 different homicides all at the same time!”

“We have produced hundreds of thousands of custom card decks for many Crime Stopper units throughout Florida and Texas. With the support of Crime Stoppers throughout Florida, we are now producing a statewide-customized poker card deck. This deck features unsolved homicides from across the State. Each inmate in the Florida Prison System will receive one of the 100,000 decks printed. We are in the process of compiling a similar deck for the State of Texas, and hope to expand this program throughout the United States.

We formed Effective Playing Cards, and our sister company, Effective Magazines at the request of Law Enforcement and Crime Stoppers units.”

Anyone interested in the program is asked to call the Center for Hope at (518) 884-8671 or through https://hope4themissing.org/news.php