Pubdate: Thu, 30 Oct 2003 Source: Clay County Democrat (AR) Contact: 2003. Clay County Democrat. Website: http://www.claycountydemocrat.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3154 Author: Jennifer Vernon Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/topics/Red+Ribbon (Red Ribbon Week) SCHOOL CELEBRATING RED RIBBON WEEK OCTOBER 27-31 Red Ribbon Week Festivities Are In Full Swing At Rector Elementary School This Week. On Monday, Oct. 27, the school was decorated with red ribbons on "Let's Color The School Red" Day. Ribbons were handed out to all students and staff members to wear during the week. Tuesday, Oct. 28, was "Put A Cap On Drugs" Day. Students and staff were asked to wear their favorite hat or cap. Days remaining in the week are as follows: - -- Wednesday, Oct. 29, is "Take A Stand For A Drug-Free Land" Day. Students and staff are asked to wear red, white, and blue to show pride for a drug-free country. - -- Thursday, Oct. 30, "Shade Out Drugs" Day. Students are asked to wear their favorite sunglasses to show that drugs can be wiped out. The school will also handing out reminders to be safe on trick-or-treat night on this day. - -- Friday, Oct. 31, "Cougars Say No To Drugs" Day. Students and staff are asked to wear blue and gray to show that cougar spirit. Red Ribbon Week was created due to a series of events that happened in the mid-1980s. In early 1985, the Drug Enforcement Agency sent Kiki Camarena to work undercover in Mexico. For weeks he lived among the drug cartel, gathering information and evidence. He was ready to wrap up his assignment when his identity was discovered. He was kidnapped and tortured to death. To honor his memory, friends and neighbors wore red badges of satin. Then parents who had come together to fight the drug problem took him as their model, embracing his belief that one person can make a difference, and adopting his symbol - the red ribbon - as their own. From this grassroots beginning grew the National Family Partnership, a network of community groups united under one mission: to promote healthy, drug-free youth through prevention and education. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom