Crowds turn out to search for missing 26-year-old Madeline Kingsbury, of Winona
WINONA, Minn. -- Authorities say that over 1,800 people turned out to assist in a mass search Friday for a missing 26-year-old mother, whose disappearance police are calling "involuntary" and "suspicious."
The Winona Police Department says Madeline Kingsbury disappeared after she dropped her kids off at daycare last Friday, and has had no contact with family and friends since.
The father of Kingsbury's children told police he left their house in a blue minivan soon after the dropoff, and when he came back, she was gone.
"This is a sad story. There are kids that don't know where their mom is. There is family that doesn't know where their daughter is," said Amy Scheevel, from Brice Prairie, Wisconsin. She was one of 500 people who showed up on Friday morning to assist with the search.
MORE: Police call Madeline Kingsbury's disappearance from Winona "suspicious"
Organizers are asking for more volunteers on Saturday to continue the search. They say they will not be doing a search on Sunday, asking everyone to take the day to rest.
Volunteers are asked to meet at either the Winona County-Goodview Fire Department in Winona or the Fillmore County Rushford-Peterson School in Rushford. Registration for volunteers will be from 9 - 11 a.m.
Those interested in volunteering can sign up online ahead of time.
Additionally, police asked for anyone along the Highway 43 corridor in Winona and Fillmore counties to "check their properties, including any video cameras, doorbell cameras, game cameras, etc. for any signs of the van passing through or stopping" between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. on April 1.
Kingsbury stands 5 feet, 4 inches tall and weighs about 135 pounds. She has brown hair and hazel eyes.
Kingsbury's family is offering a $50,000 reward for information that leads them to her. Anyone with information on her whereabouts is asked to call 507-457-6288, or submit an anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers online.