Volunteer Center Press Release

Since May 19th we have hoped and prayed for the safe return of Mickey Shunick, and this is the result we all feared, but now we are done with searching and have to begin healing. For the Shunick family, this is the worst tragedy any family could face, and they now ask only for privacy and time to heal. For those of us closest to Mickey and the Shunick family, this is an emotional wound that has been open for over two months. For all of the thousands of strangers touched by this event, we must keep all of our thoughts and prayers with the Shunick family. Now we must learn to live our lives from this point forward as we have lived them for the last two months, without our daughter, sister, and friend here with us.

Though this is undoubtedly a tragic event for all of us, we must find some light in the darkness. What the past weeks have shown us is the amazing power of love and humanity. Thousands of strangers, nearly all of whom had never heard the name Mickey Shunick before May 19th, came from all across Louisiana and the rest of the country to help a family find their daughter and a group of young people find their friend. All of the monetary and material donations are countless pieces of evidence of the love shown for Mickey and her family. We are so immensely grateful for all of the volunteers and the time they have devoted to this effort.

We also wish to thank all of the law enforcement agencies and search and rescue operations that have helped us throughout this ordeal. In addition, the donations and support provided to us by local businesses and civic groups has sustained us from the beginning, and we are enormously grateful for all of your help. Though this is not where we wanted to be today, we would be nowhere without your help.

Let us now grieve together for our loss of such a bright light in our lives. Let us not give into anger for what has been done, but let us instead strive to do as Mickey did before her light was taken from us. Let us do our part to make the world a little brighter.

Find Mickey Now Volunteer Center press release