Hundreds of people took to the streets of Esquimalt Sunday morning to participate in the 34th annual Michael Dunahee Keep the Hope Alive Walk, continuing to raise awareness about missing children and promote safer communities.
The event is held every year around March 24, the anniversary of four-year-old Michael Dunahee’s disappearance in 1991.
Michael vanished from the Blanshard Elementary School playground around 12:30 p.m., just metres from his family. Despite extensive searches involving hundreds of volunteers and multiple police agencies, he has never been found.
Michael’s case remains one of Canada’s largest and most enduring missing persons investigations.
For family and friends, the community’s continued support is crucial, offering hope and a chance to remind others about the importance of vigilance and safety.
“It’s just the support that we have in the community,” said Michael’s mom, Crystal Dunahee. “People that I don’t even know come up to me to have a conversation with me about how Michael’s disappearance changed how they were raised as children themselves, and how they raise their children.”
In 2021, marking the 30th anniversary of Michael’s disappearance, Victoria Police Department released an age-enhanced sketch and launched a dedicated tip line and online portal. Investigators say they have since received hundreds of tips and are actively following up on them.
All funds raised during the annual walk support Child Find BC, which works to assist families with missing children and promote child safety across the province.
Police continue to urge anyone with information about Michael Dunahee’s disappearance to come forward through the dedicated tip line at 250-995-7444
