A Port Orange woman missing for eight years will be remembered on her birthday with a balloon ceremony Monday, her mother said.
"My daughter Laurel Rogers' birthday is June 4. We are having a balloon launch at Larry Fornari Park 3259 S. Atlantic Ave., Daytona Beach Shores at 5:30 PM.," said Lauretta Rogers on Saturday.
Laurel Rogers was 28 years old when she disappeared on Feb. 1, 2010. She has not been heard from or seen since that moment when she grabbed her purse and stepped out of her home into a drizzling rain.
Every year since, Lauretta Rogers has held vigils to keep getting the word out, showing photos of her daughter to remind people she is still missing. The mother hopes that these annual ceremonies will reach someone who knows something about her daughter's disappearance and come forward with the information.
Laurel Rogers may have left her home to meet someone, but no one knows who that person was. Her cellphone use abruptly stopped the day she disappeared. Her bank account showed no withdrawals or deposits.
While a teenager, Rogers was diagnosed with lupus, a chronic auto-immune disease that attacked her kidneys and required her to take daily medication. When she left, she left her medication behind, according to Port Orange police.
Her disappearance is still being actively worked. Tips are still being called in to Crime Stoppers, said Capt. Kim Kilpatrick, who is leading the investigation.
And on Monday, Lauretta Rogers will continue her efforts to find her daughter by celebrating her birthday with a balloon launch.
"She will be 37 on June 4," Lauretta Rogers said.