Contests wrap up Red Ribbon Week
By Melinda L. Lucas
With the 2021 “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. 25. The annual campaign is recognized not only locally but across the nation.
This is the 33rd 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 2021, “Drug Free Looks Like Me.”
All five days of Red Ribbon Week are being observed with dress-up themes on both campuses, with a poster contest at the elementary school and a door decoration contest at the secondary campus.
NSES Events
At Nancy Smith, the last two days of the week will carry the theme of “No Bones About It! Drugs Are Scary!” (wear a costume; no masks, must be school appropriate) for Thursday, and “Team Up Against Drugs!” (wear favorite team gear) for Friday.
Elementary students are also participating in a poster contest, which must be turned in to the school office by 9:00 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 29.
Three prizes will be awarded in each group with $25 for first place, $15 for second, and $10 for third. Prizes are sponsored by the Albany Drug Task Force.
Winners will be announced on Nov. 1.
Secondary Events
At the secondary campus, sponsor Michaela Bradford said junior high and high school students will “Team Up Again Drugs on Thursday, wearing their favorite sports team’s jerseys or Albany gear.
“On Friday, we will Dress as a Senior Citizen to go along with Senior Night at the footnball game,” said Bradford.
Each day, the secondary students are receiving small items that promote staying drug free each day.
Students are participating in a door decorating contest, with winners to be announced at Friday’s pep rally, with prizes for the top three doors.
“I think the kids have really enjoyed the different themes that we’ve had,”said Bradford. “And they’re buying into the drug-free initiative.”
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.
