by PegNews wire

The acclaimed 19-day event draws attention to several hundred missing people, each profiled by the musicians participating throughout the US and other countries.

GINA for Missing Persons FOUNDation presents the 3rd International Squeaky Wheel Tour® (SWT), launching October 17, 2008.  The acclaimed 19-day event draws attention to several hundred missing people, each profiled by the musicians participating throughout the US and other countries, and is supported by the families of the missing and nonprofit organizations worldwide.

Musicians participating in SWT earmark their concerts or events to profile a missing person(s) in their community.  They profile that missing person during their show and ask attendees to take a flyer to post throughout their community. Audience members become official GINA Volunteers simply by coming to the events and posting flyers.

This year's tour has reached across international boundaries that take us from England in 1996 to Dallas 2008. Damien Nettles disappeared from Cowes, Isle of Wight, England November 2, 1996. He is both an American and British citizen. His immediate family now lives in Dallas and continues to search for Damien whenever and however possible. Damien's family recently connected with GINA for Missing Persons FOUNDation when GINA was preparing a Squeaky Wheel Tour® web cast profiling UK missing persons to air November 2, 2008 at 2:30 CST www.411Gina.org . The Internet has become a valuable tool to help bridge the gap for families to get information out world-wide about their missing loved ones.

Texas area missing to be profiled are Roxanne Paultauf-Austin, Kimberly Norwood-Longview, Sara Kinslow-Greenville, Troy Grumbie-Irving, Melissa Highsmith-Fort Worth, Brandi Wells-Longview, and Monica Carrasco-Balmorhea.

Jannel Rap, founder of SWT, has intimate knowledge of the missing.  Her sister, musician Gina Bos, disappeared on October 17, 2000.  Because there was no lurid or dramatic circumstance, Gina's case didn't achieve great media attention and was soon forgotten by the community.  In honor of Gina, and knowing how scattered, broken and lost the families of the missing felt, Jannel knew she had to do something. The concept of the Squeaky Wheel Tour® was born.  A musician herself, Jannel used the power of music (and her band, Clementine) to start being the "squeaky wheel" that demands attention.

Jannel's LA based band, Clementine is a merging of singer/songwriters on a mission to help educate the public about missing persons cases. Clementine is most known for their musical and lyrical hooks and their unique vocal sound reminiscent of the Eagles, Fleetwood Mac and Crosby Stills Nash and Young. Clementine has shared the stage with Hal Ketchum, Louden Wainwright, Nickel Creek and more.

Mark Wayne Glasmire is joining Clementine at Poor David's. He was a top 10 finalist in the GINA Singer/songwriter Contest of 2008 consequently joining in the family of International GINA Artists. He is a seasoned singer/songwriter with melodies and lyrics that hook you in and make you feel at home while challenging your senses.

850,000 missing persons reports are made each year in the U.S. 110,000 of those cases go unsolved.  To date, over 300 missing people profiled by GINA for Missing Persons FOUNDation and SWT have been found.

Source: GINA - Squeaky Wheel Tour

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