GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) — In 2022, 516 people went missing in the state of Wisconsin. Every one of these people has a story. A nonprofit based in Green Bay is dedicated to finding answers and advocating for missing people and their families.
The Wisconsin Missing Persons Advocacy Group was started in 2017. Marsha Loritz created the organization after her mother, Victoria Prokopovitz, went missing.
“My mom went missing 10 years ago. When I found myself in that situation, I didn’t have anywhere to turn, not a lot of resources, and I didn’t know what to do,” said Loritz. “That’s kind of what kickstarted Wisconsin Missing Persons.”
Loritz’s advocacy goes far beyond the organization.
“I wrote to the governor in 2015 asking for Missing Persons Awareness Day; he granted a proclamation making it Missing Persons Awareness Month,” said Loritz. “So with that, I threw an event that was so well received that we’ve been doing it ever since. That’s when we formed the non-profit.”
At the 2023 Annual Missing Persons Awareness Event at the Brown County Sheriff’s Office on Saturday, families with missing loved ones came together to share their stories. There were also various organizations present to share resources they have available to families of missing persons, and also organizations that gave demonstrations on tools they use to help locate the missing.
Secure ID based in Madison, WI was there to give out free Child ID cards that can assist parents if their child goes missing.
“The card has an accurate, updated physical description of the child, it has a photo of them that you can show security and law enforcement,” said owner Doug Wierzba. “It helps to kind of speed things along to get that information out there right away.”
You can still obtain a Child ID card by visiting their website.
Danielle Eckert’s mother, Sandra Eckert, has been missing from Franklin, WI for two years. Danielle stressed the importance of never giving up.
“Don’t give up hope, it might seem like you’re not getting answers or they’re not doing anything. But they really are, behind the scenes,” said Eckert. “It’s hard to say I’m okay, because I’m not. I’ll never be the same. But we have to move on and make mom proud.”
Officials say one of the most helpful things you can do to help find a missing person is sharing their information on social media.
To learn more about people missing in Wisconsin, click here.
