(BCTV) - To you, it might be just a poster. But for hundreds of people in this province, it's their last hope. They're trying to find out what happened to their daughter, their sister, their aunt, and in some cases, their mother. They are the families of a growing number of women who are missing from Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. Today, Vancouver police unveiled a new poster, and offered a 100- thousand-dollar reward. Dawn Roberts, reports:

Dawn Roberts, reporting: "It's some powerful backing behind a powerful poster. And it is for the 31 women that have gone missing, known to have lived in or worked in the Downtown Eastside. And now the province and the Vancouver Police Board are offering a 100-thousand dollar reward."

Ujjal Dosanjh, Attorney General: "It is important that we recognize that despite the fact that these women may have worked in the sex trade, they have a right to their dignity, their safety and their security as much as anyone else in British Columbia and Canada has and that is why this effort is taking place."

Const. Anne Drennan, Vancouver police: "Once we became aware - as did the community - as there is clearly something wrong here, something that we should be very concerned about, we started to kick in additional resources. And as resources have become available, we have deployed those resources. Today's effort is kind of a culmination of all of our efforts."

Dawn Roberts, reporting: "Along with the efforts is the opportunity for world-wide attention thanks to this week's episode of America's Most Wanted. And the show's host says today's announcement of a poster and a reward is unprecedented."

John Walsh, host, America's Most Wanted: "This is so unique because these 31 women have disappeared completely and there is no evidence of foul play. There has never been a body - never has there been any evidence - but again it is unprecedented. And again I commend the attorney general, the mayor and the Vancouver Police Department, for addressing this head on."

Dawn Roberts, reporting: "Police say the reward will strengthen investigation efforts into what has happened in the often silent world of the Downtown Eastside. Anyone with any information about the whereabouts of these missing women is asked to call police or Crimestoppers at 669-TIPS."

Anchor reads: "The special Vancouver-based edition of "America's Most Wanted" will feature segments on the 31 missing women, an update on the Poonam Randhawa murder, and the shooting of Doctor Gary Romalis. You can see the Vancouver edition of America's Most Wanted this Saturday at nine PM, on BCTV."

Photos of the missing women can be found on the Vancouver Police Department web site at: [ http://city.vancouver.bc.ca/police/.

Four more women disappear-July 27/99