ESCONDIDO -- The number of volunteers searching for Amber Dubois has dwindled. Leads have dried up, and optimism has waned in the more than five weeks since the 14-year-old girl disappeared.

Still, Amber's parents are not giving up hope. They can't, they said.

"It gets harder and harder every single day," said Maurice Dubois, her father, who lives in Orange County but has stayed in an Escondido hotel since his daughter vanished Feb. 13 on her way to school. "Knowing that she's not here … you want to do everything possible to get her back."

About 60 volunteers searched again Saturday and Sunday for the Escondido High School freshman. That's down from the hundreds of volunteers who helped earlier this month.

Carrie McGonigle, Amber's mother, said memories of her daughter keep her going.

"That's about the only motivation there is," she said.

Both parents said they hoped Tuesday's benefit at local Applebee's restaurants and Saturday's motorcycle run, raffle and barbecue will stoke new interest in their daughter's case.

From 5 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, 13 Applebee's in San Diego, Riverside and Orange counties will donate 15 percent of all checks from diners who bring in a flier found at www.bringamberhome.com.

Registration for the motorcycle run starts at 9 a.m. at The Swallow's Inn in San Juan Capistrano, 31786 Camino Capistrano. The ride will end at the search center established for Amber at 755 N. Quince St. in Escondido.

Her parents believe Amber was abducted by strangers. They described her as a bookish teen and a model student who never spoke of running away. Escondido police list Amber as a missing juvenile, noting they have no evidence she was abducted or ran away.

Very little new information has been released by police over the past month.

Both parents said they are eager to speak with police investigators this week about what they've learned from a forensic probe of the family's computer. A search warrant affidavit filed by police earlier this month said there was an increase in activity on the computer in the week before the teen's disappearance, but did not specify what kind of activity.

The affidavit also said a friend of Amber's told police the teen had been chatting with boys online.

Amber's parents have said they were unaware of their daughter chatting online.

While the family continues its search, emotions at Escondido High have calmed somewhat, said Karyn O'Brien, a spokeswoman for the Escondido Union High School District.

"I think there was a heightened concern (early on)," said O'Brien, noting warnings were sent out to parents and extra counselors were placed at the school right after Amber vanished.

O'Brien said the district is prepared to add administrators and counselors if and when Amber is found.

"We have a plan … no matter what the resolution," O'Brien said.

Amber is described by her family as 5 feet 5 inches tall, 130 pounds with brown hair and blue eyes.

Another search for the teen is planned Sunday.

Anyone with information about her disappearance is asked to call police at (760) 743-8477.

Contact staff writer Chris Nichols at (760) 740-5426 or cnichols@nctimes.com.

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