30 Days of Justice: KlaasKids

During a slumber party in October of 1993, 12-year-old Polly Klaas was abducted at knifepoint from her California home. For 65 straight days, the hunt persisted for Polly. A mass distribution of 2 billion images of Polly was sent worldwide. She had soon become a symbol of love and lost innocence. Then one December morning, the nation was greeted with the news that Polly Klaas had been murdered. The country was outraged. The public cried out for change in legislation and pro-action in crime prevention. "Polly was faced with a choice few people ever have to make," said her father, Marc Klaas. "By putting herself in mortal danger to protect her family and friends, Polly has become my greatest teacher." Marc Klaas immediately dove into a campaign to put children higher on the national priority list. With no prior media, political or public speaking experience, he immediately became savvy in affecting proactive legislation, and sought to advocate children's issues and speak out on crime prevention.

Within a year the KlaasKids Foundation was formed. KlaasKids exists to help missing and exploited kids across the country. On their informative website, you can find information on how to create and maintain one of the most effective anti-crime and ant-terrorist grass roots programs ever developed, access to Beyond Missing, a revolutionary new Internet destination that provides free poster making and distribution capabilities for missing children, a 27-minute instructional video that educates parents on the steps to take if their children are kidnapped, and so much more. Through KlaasKids, Marc Klaas is helping others not have to experience the loss that he once did.

KlaasKids is also instrumental in ending Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking as well. Did you know there are 300,000 child prostitutes in the U.S.? Working with anti-human trafficking agencies, like the Florida Coalition, and law enforcement, KlaasKids wants to ensure that children are not being exploited in this tragic, yet so prominent, crime. Every day 2300 kids go missing in our country. And 2/3 of them will be lured into sex industry within 48 hours. Those are just a few reasons why organization like KlaasKids is so essential. KlaasKids goes to the streets, armed with information and photos of the missing, to bring these children back to their families safely. With warriors like Marc Klaas, Brad Dennis, and other team members of KlaasKids lives literall are being saved through KlaasKids.