Ed Smart whose daughter Elizabeth was kidnapped and held captive is one of thousands of bicyclists riding in the Tour De Palm Springs Saturday.
Smart says what happened to him could happen to any family in any neighborhood, so he's riding to raise awareness.
Ed Smart will pedal 100 miles in Saturday's Tour de Palm Springs to support Christopher's Clubhouse, a charity that focuses on predatory crimes against children.
"We just want parents to really understand what's happening out there in the real world, said Smart.
Back in 2002 Smart's 14 year old daughter, Elizabeth, was taken from her bedroom and held captive, raped and abused for nine months before she was found alive.
Ed Smart says Elizabeth's alleged kidnapper used fear to keep her from running away.
"I'm gonna kill you, go after your sister and your family so get over it, you are mine now and he did everything he could to basically make her feel like there was no hope, said Smart.
Hundreds of crimes against children, including sexual abuse, occur in the valley every year.
And Smart says parents need to talk to their kids about what to do.
"If they don't know what their options are if they haven't been trained there's a less likely chance they'll come out of it," said Smart.
His ride Saturday is just the beginning, he's training for a cross country tour called "Ride for their Lives," to raise awareness among parents to empower their children.
"When Elizabeth came home I said I want to hear you scream as loud as you can, I don't care if you have to kick but I want you to know you can get away, said Smart.
Smart is part of the surviving parents coalition which is pushing for several initiatives, including child safety education training in schools.
