BALLSTON SPA, N.Y. (NEWS10) — This year marks the 25th anniversary of Ballston Spa teen Suzanne Gloria Lyall’s abduction in 1998. To honor Lyall, the bell inside the tower of a historical village landmark will toll 25 times at 5 p.m. on March 2.

BSHS graduate, Suzanne Gloria Lyall was abducted from her SUNY Albany campus in 1998 when she was 19. Suzanne’s parents, Mary and Douglas Lyall co-founded the non-profit The Center for HOPE (Healing Our Painful Emotions) in the aftermath of the abduction. The organization has established the annual New York State Missing Persons Day and the Missing Persons Remembrance, a monument seen at the NYS Museum in Albany, that provides families and friends of missing persons with support and opportunities for remembrance. The 2023 NYS Missing Persons Day will take place Saturday, April 15.

Mrs. Lyall comments, “Doug and I chose the acronym HOPE for our organization because families and friends of missing persons typically experience intense emotions ranging from shock and disbelief to sadness and grief to frustration, anger, and rage, a rage that wants justice. Often the most devastating emotion of all  despair enters the scenario,” “Keeping hope alive is so important.” Suzanne’s parents and The Center for Hope also helped to curate the NYS Campus Safety Act and federal legislation titled Suzanne`s Law which boosted the age for those protected by The Center for Missing and Exploited Children from 18 to 21.

Mrs. Lyall expresses her gratitude towards Mayor Rossi who has declared March 2, Suzanne Gloria Lyall Remembrance Day. He encourages residents to observe a moment of silence as the bell is rung 25 times from atop the Civil War-era red brick factory at the corner of Prospect Street and Milton Avenue.