The “March for the Missing” will be organized by the families of missing loved ones

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – Local families who have lost a loved one will march in their honor this weekend.

The “Andy Chapman Walk for the Missing” is part of an effort to raise awareness about missing people, in the hope that one day they will return.

NBC4 spoke to two families who know this difficulty all too well. They said the most important thing to them was keeping the names of their loved ones alive.

Whether a person has been missing for a year or 50 years, not a day goes by without families thinking of them.

“Since my son left, I have been volunteering to help the homeless, hoping that one of these days I will see my son again,” said Danny Fout's mother.

Danny Fout's family has been searching for answers for more than five years now. Life may go on, but for the Fout family, they are doing everything they can to keep his name and his face.

“As the years go by and the kids grow up, he has grandkids that he's never even met, you know, keeping his name in the public eye, any little thing , that someone might think it's not that big of a deal, that's a big deal for us,” said Tammy Fout, Danny's sister.

According to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons (NamUs) database, every year, 600,000 Americans go missing. In the state of Ohio, there are approximately 400 pending missing persons cases.

“When a loved one goes missing, you just don't know where to start,” Tammy said.

This Saturday is the first month of March for the Missing event. This takes place on the west side of Columbus. It was organized by the family of Andy Chapman, who died almost 20 years ago.

“We just want to encourage hope. We want to encourage hope in the community. We want to give hope to families. We want to stay hopeful,” said Aimee Chapman, Andy’s sister. “It's been 18 years, and that's the ultimate goal, is to bring the missing home, whether it's Andy, whether it's Carla Losey, whether it's Tyler Davis. These are all loved ones whose families They're just trying to survive day to day, not knowing where their loved ones are. And it's absolute torture.

This walk is not just for Andy or Danny, it is in their honor and that of the countless others who have passed away over the years.

“He deserves it. You know, he was my son and Amy was his sister. We keep looking for him,” said Judy Rafferty, Andy's mother. “We're just hoping for answers for anyone , a conclusion for someone It's not just for Andy It's for all the other missing people, the families who were doing this.

“We love you Dad, wherever you are and we miss you so much,” said Kaitlyn Fout, Danny's daughter. “We are not giving up. Like just to be able to make people see his name and just have it in mind in case they see his face somewhere and just connect you to that name and maybe give us a little hope .

The first annual Walk for the Missing will take place on Saturday, June 8, from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. It will take place at Hillcrest Baptist Church, near where Andy went missing. The event will include a prayer service, a walk and refreshments will be available afterward. Organizations like Ohio BCI and a representative from the Columbus Division of Police will be there to offer resources and support.