Thousands of Northside students and staff teamed up against drugs this past week to help celebrate Red Ribbon Week.
Dozens of schools planned special events, parades, and rallies to help spread the drug-free message to students.
Mary Hull Elementary School
For example, the Mary Hull Elementary School roadrunners kicked off Red Ribbon Week in style with a parade on Oct. 24. Several vehicles were loaded with special guests, music, characters, and participants included students in preschool all the way up to high school.
McGruff the Crime Dog and his crew of SAPD officers were special guests at Timberwilde Elementary School's "Just Say No" Red Ribbon Week Rally led by Principal Judy Rosanno. Students learned about the dangers of drugs, Halloween safety tips, and participated in an anti-drug pledge.
Carson Elementary School
And Carson Elementary School kicked off its Red Ribbon Week with a rousing concert by the Air Force band, Top Flight. The band entertained the students with popular songs and encouraged them to "Just Say No" to drugs.
Powell Elementary held a "Drug Free Royalty" day and staff and students came dressed in crowns and robes. The Royal Drug Free Court walked the red carpet as their oath of honor to stay drug free.
Elrod Elementary School
Nacho Estrada delighted the students at Elrod Elementary with his ventriloquist talents and very important message: "Don't Let Drugs Make You a Dummy!" Students and teachers also dressed in their favorite team shirts to "Team up against drugs."
To celebrate Northside's Red Ribbon Week Campaign, students at Ward Elementary dressed up to display their commitment to stay drug free. On Wednesday students from all grade levels wore camouflage to "Join the Fight Against Drugs."
The Spurs RV visited Evers Elementary to encourage and promote the school's Red Ribbon and Character Counts week theme, "Fair Dream Team" and "Stay In the Game, Be Drug Free!"
Scobee Elementary School
Scobee Elementary School completed Red Ribbon Week with a parade that included San Antonio and NISD police officers, McGruff the Crime Dog, H-E-Buddy, Olympic marathon runner Liza Hunter-Galvan, Miss US America 2009 Stephanie Quintanilla, Ballapeno from the San Antonio Missions, and the Shelli Hair School of Gymnastics. Students marched with handmade banners and signs and pledged to live a drug-free life.
"Red Ribbon Week is a celebration of the commitment by students to stay drug free," said Kimberly Burke, coordinator of the Safe and Drug Free Schools and Communities program. "The Safe and Drug Free Schools and Communities program would like to thank all Northside community members for supporting students through these prevention activities."
The Safe and Drug Free Schools and Communities (SDFSC) Program in Northside ISD plans and implements a comprehensive drug and violence prevention program to prevent the use, possession, and distribution of tobacco, alcohol and illegal drugs by students and employees and to prevent violence and promote school safety.
Red Ribbon Week was inspired by the 1985 murder of Enrique "Kiki" Camarena, an agent with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency who dedicated his life to fighting illegal drugs. While working undercover in Mexico, he was kidnapped and killed by illegal drug traffickers.
In response to his death, young people in his hometown of California began wearing red ribbons and urged others to take a stand against drugs. Their efforts grew, and in 1988, Congress officially proclaimed the last week in October as Red Ribbon Week. Today, more than 100,000 schools and organizations across the nation take a stand against drug and alcohol use during Red Ribbon Week.
The Red Ribbon campaign, sponsored by National Family Partnership, is now the oldest and largest drug prevention program in the nation.
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