Red Ribbon Week wraps up
By Donnie A. Lucas
The 2022 Red Ribbon Week campaign is winding down, but organizers still have events planned for the final two days on Thursday and Friday.
Students at both the elementary and secondary campuses have been involved in dress-up days, contests, and daily tokens to remind them to stay away from drugs and alcohol.
The nationwide theme for 2022 is “Celebrate Life. Live Drug Free,” which is being observed locally on Oct. 24-28.
The event is sponsored by Albany ISD and the Albany Task Force on Drug and Alcohol Abuse. This is the 34th year that the local school has participated in the campaign that was first organized in 1986.
Students still have two final days to participate in dress-up days, with daily and overall winners named at both campuses. The dress-up days at the secondary campus are sponsored by the Albany Student Council.
The themes for the two remaining days at the elementary campus are “Being Drug Free is Groovy!” (wear tie-dye or dress like a hippie) on Thursday, and “Red Rally for Drug Free!” (wear red head to toe) on Friday.
At the junior/senior high school, the theme for Thursday is “Give Drugs the Boot/Watch Out ‘Fore’ Drugs” (dress country or country club). The theme on Friday is “Black Out Drugs,” (wear black for the black-out pep rally).
Poster Contest
Entries for the poster contest at Nancy Smith Elementary are due by Friday, Oct. 28 at 9:00 a.m. in the school office.
Cash prizes will be awarded for the top three winners in each of four categories.
The age categories include Pre-K, Head Start, and kindergarten, first and second grades, third and fourth grades, and fifth and sixth grades.
First place will receive $25, followed by $15 for second, and $10 for third in each age category.
Posters should be made on a half-size sheet of poster board with the student’s name and grade on the back.
Door Decoration
Contest
Judging for the door contest at the secondary campus will be done at 10:00 a.m. on Friday. The winners of the contest will receive a pizza party.
The doors of each WIN time class will be ranked by a panel of outside judges, according to principal Glen Hill.
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.
