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Area
students celebrate
Red Ribbon Week
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[OCT. 27, 2004]
All too often young people get bad reputations for their
involvement in drug and alcohol abuse, but youth who support drug
and alcohol prevention within the community are not always given
credit for their positive influence. This week provides a special
opportunity to change the pattern. Many area students are
participating in the nationwide Red Ribbon Week campaign, promoting
a healthy, drug-free lifestyle. |
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On Thursday and Friday, students who attend Olympia West Elementary
School in Armington, Hopedale and Minier will walk in three Red
Ribbon Week parades, making sure their neighbors know they are
committed to living a healthy, drug-free life. Olympia students
will go to Armington on Thursday for a 9 a.m. parade from the park
at Minier and Armington roads, through the downtown, and back to the
park.
On Friday morning a parade will step off at 10 at the Hopedale
Village Hall and return there after going past Hopedale Commons. The
Friday afternoon parade will be in Minier, beginning at the school
at 12:45 and returning to the school.
Citizens and merchants are encouraged to line the parade routes
and cheer on the students.
Other Red Ribbon Week activities on the schedule at Olympia West
are wearing clothes backward for Turn Your Back on Drugs Day, trying
out goggles that simulate intoxication, planting red bulbs in the
school garden, wearing silly socks for Sock it to Drugs Day, taking
red tulip bulbs home to plant for a spring reminder of drug-free
living, making banners, and a closing program with a quiz and a
chance to dunk the principal and other staff members.
In addition, the "Share a Pair" shoe collection has been going on
in Armington, Hopedale and Minier since Oct. 10. Citizens of all
three towns have a goal of collecting over 1,300 pairs of shoes for
an educational display representing the number of people who die
from drug usage. The shoes will be shared with area charities later.
New and used shoes may be dropped off at Olympia West, Minier and
Hopedale banks and grocery stores and at Armington, Hopedale and
Minier churches. For more information, call Carolyn Hansen at
392-1700.
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Minier Police Chief Daryl Weseloh is coordinating the Olympia
West activities with assistance from representatives of each of the
communities.
In Springfield, Sacred Heart-Griffin students are also
participating in the annual Red Ribbon Week. Students dressed in red
on Tuesday to show their support of drug and alcohol prevention.
They were encouraged to "tie one on against drugs" by wearing ties
Wednesday.
On Thursday, fifty students will dress in black to represent the
number of people who die each day in drunk driving crashes; 200
hundred crosses will be placed on school windows to represent the
number of teens who died in alcohol-related crashes each month last
year; and one large cross will be placed in the courtyard in memory
of the 2,395 teens killed in alcohol-related crashes last year.
Students and faculty will also wear yellow ribbons to support
suicide prevention awareness.
The weeklong observance at SHG also includes slogan contests and
a safety talk by the Springfield City Police Department.
Red Ribbon Week began in 1985 in memory of undercover Special
Agent Enrique Camarena of the Drug Enforcement Administration, who
was killed by drug traffickers in Mexico. Friends and neighbors
rallied to support drug and alcohol awareness, pledged to lead
drug-free lives to honor the sacrifices made by Camarena and others,
and wore red satin ribbons in his memory. From these groups emerged
the national campaign known as Red Ribbon Week.
[From news releases provided by the
Minier Police Department and Sacred-Heart Griffin]
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