Tuesday, Feb. 3, marks National Missing Persons Day, a date created in Houston to remind families of loved ones who have vanished that they are not alone.<\/p>\n
The day was founded by Joanne Lowitzer, whose daughter, Ali Lowitzer<\/a>, disappeared at age 16 after getting off a school bus in Spring. This year marks nearly 16 years since Ali vanished, and today would have been her 32nd birthday. <\/p>\n Her disappearance remains unsolved, despite cameras capturing her getting off the bus at a nearby stop, a reminder of how limited surveillance technology was at the time.<\/p>\n Joanne Lowitzer created National Missing Persons Day<\/a> to keep cases like her daughter\u2019s in the public eye, especially as missing children grow older and attention fades. <\/p>\n Inside her home, proclamations and framed documents from the city of Houston, the state of Texas, and beyond reflect years of advocacy aimed at raising awareness, supporting families, and encouraging tips.<\/p>\n At Crime Stoppers Houston, advocate Andy Kahan says having a dedicated day gives families a place to connect and access critical resources. <\/p>\n He points to organizations like Texas EquuSearch<\/a>, which he calls a national gold standard for helping families organize searches, distribute flyers, and maintain public interest in missing persons cases.<\/p>\n\n<\/ul>\n
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