Red Ribbon activities continue
By Kathy Thomson
With the 2019 “Red Ribbon Week” campaign winding down, organizers still have quite a bit more planned for local students on Thursday and Friday.
Red Ribbon Week in Albany this year began on Monday, Oct. 21. The annual campaign is recognized not only locally but across the nation.
This is the 31st straight year that the event has been conducted in Albany. The campaign is designed to draw as much attention as possible to the problems of drug and alcohol abuse, some of the leading causes of drug abuse, and its prevention.
The event is sponsored by Albany ISD and the Albany Task Force on Drug and Alcohol Abuse, with support provided by several other state and local agencies.
Activities are planned for both elementary and secondary school campuses following the national theme for 2019, “Send a Message. Stay Drug Free.”
NSES Events
Elementary event coordinator Susie Beard planned drug-free lessons, dress-up days, daily incentives, pledges to live drug-free lives, and a poster contest during the week-long celebration for the elementary students. She said that it has been going great.
“The majority of teachers and kids are participating in our dress-up days,” Beard said on Tuesday. “We already have some posters turned in for the poster contest. Wednesday will probably be our favorite dress-up day because it is pajama day!”
Dress-up themes included camo on Monday for “Be all you can be. Be drug free.”
Crazy hair and socks were worn on Tuesday to “Go crazy and sock it to drugs.”
Wednesday’s sleep attire was to inspire students to “Follow your dreams. Don’t choose drugs.”
Thursday’s theme is “Voting for a drug free life” by wearing red, white, and blue.
Friday everyone will be encouraged to “Team up against drugs” by wearing red or a favorite team jersey.
Another special activity at NSES is the annual drug-free poster contest.
As they have the past few years, students at Nancy Smith Elementary School are competing for cash prizes by promoting the prevention of drug and alcohol abuse.
Participation is completely voluntary, but all entries must abide by the rules to be eligible for prizes.
Children will design and enter posters by the 9:00 a.m. deadline on Friday, Oct. 25. Posters are limited to being no larger than a large piece of construction paper, and the student’s name and grade must be placed on the back of the poster.
Entries must turned in at the elementary school office, and prizes will be awarded in four different age groups: pre-K, Head Start and kindergarten; first and second grades; third and fourth grades; and fifth and sixth grades.
Prizes are $25, $15, $10 and are sponsored by the Albany Drug Task Force. Winners will be announced on Monday, Oct. 28.
Secondary Events
A full five-day observation of Red Ribbon Week was planned for the secondary campus by counselor Jenny Scott.
Students and teachers were encouraged to dress up as their favorite meme humorous image that is copied and spread by internet users) on Monday to “Laugh at drugs.”
On Tuesday crazy hair and socks were worn to show that “Head to toe, I’m drug free.”
Favorite caps and hats were allowed on Wednesday to encourage everyone to “Put a cap on drugs.”
Thursday’s dress in a favorite decade attire supported being “Drug free through the decades.”
Friday, Oct. 25 everyone at the secondary campus was encouraged to “Black out drugs” by wearing black. (This will also be the black out pep rally).
Social Media
“Instead of door decorations, we are having advisories come up with a social media campaign against drug use, vaping, or drinking and driving,” said secondary counselor Jenny Scott. “The social media campaign will be judged by an outside group, and we will announce winners at the pep rally on Friday.
Background Info
The first Red Ribbon Campaign was organized in 1986 by a grass roots organization of parents dedicated to protecting communities from the destruction caused by alcohol and drug abuse.
The red ribbon was adopted as a symbol of the movement in honor of Enrique Camarena, an agent with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration kidnapped and killed while investigating drug traffickers.
Since 1986 the campaign has reached millions of U.S. children and has been recognized by the U.S. Congress.
According to redribbon.org, children of parents who talk to their teens regularly about drugs are 42 percent less likely to use drugs than those who don’t, yet only a quarter of teens report having these conversations.
The red ribbon organization recommends that parents talk with their children about drug abuse prevention, take a pledge to avoid drug abuse, and lock up any prescription drugs.
