Every year since Bernadette Stevenson Caruso’s disappearance in Maryland in 1986 her family has put up a Christmas tree up for her. Each year the tree may be a little different but it always has some of Bernadette’s Christmas ornaments on it from the last tree Bernadette put up in 1985. “I guess in our hearts it is a way to share Christmas with Bernadette no matter where she is. At Christmas we always planned our trees and what we were going to do each year. It is a special link we have had with Bernadette for all these years” says her sisters,  Darlene Huntsman and Susan Bowerman. ” For some of our family members, I think the tree is hard but for most of us it is a special Christmas tradition and tribute to our little sister. It is the hope and promise in our hearts that maybe this year the answers will come. This is what Christmas is about sharing the love of those near and dear to our hearts.” says Mrs. Huntsman. 

The sisters involvement with missing and unidentified persons motivated them to help establish, The Maryland Task Force for the Missing and Unidentified, Adults and Children, along with other families of Maryland’s missing persons. For the past couple of years they have run this non profit with time freely given and funds raised by its volunteers. Some of their events on behalf of the families of the missing and unidentified have brought national attention to efforts being used to help locate them, these events became models for other states to use. The Maryland Task Force holds public awareness events and speaks before groups such as  Moose Lodges, church groups and organizations. They do this is to bring awareness to the fact that every 30 seconds someone in the U.S. disappears, an average of 850,000 persons per year. Approximately 105,000 of these cases remain unsolved. Almost half of these cases represent unidentified persons. The group is willing to speak before any group that is willing to open their hearts and minds about the missing and their families. “Awareness, action and prevention are the key to reducing these numbers” says Mrs. Bowerman.
 
This year Mrs. Huntsman entered a campaign on the internet at Brickfish.com. Brickfish is a social media community where you can create, view, and review content in many different campaigns for the chance to win rewards and prizes. The holiday campaign, sponsored by Underwriters Laboratories is; Share Your Bright Holiday Moments where you had to share online your most memorable holiday photos, videos and stories. Mrs. Huntsman wrote about her sister and the tree they put up each year and what it means to them. Mrs. Huntsman wanted to share Bernadette’s story and raise funds that will support the  Maryland Task Force for the Missing and Unidentified’s efforts . “You have to be creative in these difficult economic times. Small non profits like ourselves are having a tough time” says Mrs. Huntsman. If her entry wins the prizes will be used to attention a national conferences which will provides attendees with investigative and forensic tools as well as new updates on cutting-edge technology. One of the objectives of the conference is to foster collaboration across geographic jurisdictions and the importance of communication among local, state and federal law enforcement and criminal justice practitioners. The group hopes to attend the conference and bring new hope to  families of the missing. The group also hopes to raise money for computers and supplies to demonstrate The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) information system at their presentations. The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) is a clearinghouse for missing persons and unidentified decedent records. NamUs is a free online system that can be searched by medical examiners, coroners, law enforcement officials and the general public to solve these cases.

 

People can go on to the Brickfish.com website and click on the link with Bernadette’s picture to vote for the entry and leave a review. Voting each day improves the entry ranking and scores. This campaign ends December 22, 2009. The entry about Bernadette’s tree has climbed to 6th place out of 595 entries. For more information contact: Susan or Sam Bowerman at 304-261-3132.

 

Vote at:
Brickfish Website
http://safetyathome.com/contest/?pbb_qsi=27551785&=ecc_all_PPIMEMAIL

 

Task Force Website:
http://www.themarylandtaskforceforthemissingandunidentified.org/

 

Bernadette Stevenson Caruso
http://bernadettestevensoncaruso.wordpress.com/