On a red letter day for his family, thousands have gathered in a sea of scarlet to salute Daniel Morcombe's legacy - including some usually seen in blue.
Liberal National Party heavyweights ditched its traditional colour to join Labor rivals in red as all walks of life gathered to celebrate a Morcombe family milestone.
The state election race has reached the final sprint but took a detour on Friday morning for the Walk for Daniel on the Sunshine Coast.
The event kick-started the Day for Daniel, marking its 20th anniversary.
An estimated two million people and more than 8500 schools and businesses around the country are expected to don red and celebrate Australia's largest child safety education and awareness day.
Daniel Morcombe, 13, was wearing a red T-shirt when he was abducted waiting for a bus in 2003 on the Sunshine Coast, near where Friday's walk began.
The colour was again on display as politicians set aside rivalries for the walk to remember the legacy of a boy who never made it home.
"From its creation 20 years ago, we had 90 people at our first walk, and probably about 50 schools participating - it's just growing every year," said Daniel's mother Denise Morcombe.
"Our message is a very simple one - if someone is harming you now or has harmed you in the past, please speak out.
"You will be believed and you will be cared for. This is our son's legacy, making a profound difference."
The banner that people passed through to start the walk was once part of a hot air balloon that raised awareness during the desperate search for Daniel in the dark days of his disappearance.
"That was back in the frantic search days where it would silently drift in the wind above the Noosa hinterland between 2004 and 2007," Daniel's father Bruce Morcombe said.
His parents now run the Daniel Morcombe Foundation that develops child safety educational resources, seeks to create safer communities and assists young victims of crime.
They appeared buoyed by the larger turnout at Friday's walk, celebrating the 20-year milestone with a cake the shape of a T-shirt.
Labor flew the flag with retiring Queensland Attorney-General Yvette D'Ath joining Senator Murray Watt, representing the prime minister, at the walk.
But it was LNP leader David Crisafulli who arguably turned the most heads, looking almost unrecognisable on the campaign trail wearing red - Labor's traditional colour.
He was still hard to miss as he launched his last-minute campaign blitz ahead of Saturday's poll at the walk, taking time to chat with the Morcombes.
Mr Crisafulli was joined by federal Opposition Leader Peter Dutton who saluted the LNP leader before turning his attention to an important cause.
"Bruce and Denise, the legacy that you are building ... is something that I know Daniel, as I'm sure every other Australian, is incredibly proud of," he said.
"For us to be here in a sea of red, I think says to them that this work will always continue, that Daniel will always be remembered."
