28 May Aeros fans enlisted to help find Gina
By Deb Lee, NewsNet5.com
AKRON, Ohio – When Akron Aeros fans look at the poster the team autographed Friday, they’ll also see a photo of missing Cleveland girl Gina DeJesus.
Former Chicago Cubs minor league pitcher Dennis Bair has made it his mission to find missing kids like Gina. So he features their pictures on minor league team photos.
“I was going through paperwork in my old bedroom at my mom’s house,” he said, “and I found an autographed picture of Rocky Bleier, a Pittsburgh Steelers running back from the Super Bowl teams of the 70’s. And I thought to myself, if this autographed picture of Rocky Bleier had a picture of a missing child in the corner I’d still have it and I’d still be thinking about ways that I could help search for the missing child.”
Bair’s organization is called the Bairfind Foundation. So far, three of the missing kids he featured have been found alive.
He’s determined to bring 100 home, including Gina, who disappeared at age 14 on her way home from school in 2004.
Gina’s family is grateful for Bair’s support. “These are posters fans will take home,” said Nancy Ruiz, Gina’s mother. “This is not something that they’re gonna throw away.”
Ruiz believes her daughter is still alive and that she will return home one day. “I hope whoever has her,” she said, “I want them to know I will come and get her. She will come home.”
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