Pubdate: Thu, 26 Oct 2006
Source: Huntington Herald (CT)
Copyright: 2006 Huntington Herald
Contact:  http://www.huntingtonherald.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4257
Author: Ed Harris, Editor

TIE A RIBBON AGAINST DRUGS

Trees around the city are a little more colorful, and it's not all 
due to the change of seasons.

The Shelton Youth Service Bureau is participating in Red Ribbon Week 
and tying ribbons around trees as a symbol of a drug free community.

"They're all over Shelton," said Sylvia Rodriquez, coordinator for 
the bureau's youth-to-youth program. "All the parks have them."

Red Ribbon Week originated in 1985 to honor Drug Enforcement 
Administration (DEA) Special Agent Enrique "KiKi" Camerini, who was 
murdered in the line of duty while investigating a drug trafficking 
case in Mexico in 1985.

Camerini was close to uncovering the identities of several drug 
traffickers before he was kidnapped, tortured and killed.

According to the DEA's website, www.dea.gov, Red Ribbon Week is the 
most far-reaching and well-known drug prevention event in the 
country. An estimated 80 million people participate in the event.

Nancy Reagan began Red Ribbon Week in 1988. The Youth Service Bureau 
has participated since 1989.

"It's an event that we feel is very worthwhile," said Gloria Kiss, 
community alert program director for the bureau. "The participation 
has been excellent."

Kiss said the goal of the program is to spur an age- appropriate 
discussion in the classroom about drugs.

In addition to the ribbon tying, the bureau sponsors a 
door-decorating contest in the elementary schools and a bulletin 
board decorating contest at the Intermediate School.

The bureau has run the bulletin board contest at the Intermediate 
School for the last six years.

Each year the bureau assigns a different theme to the contest, but 
the actual designs and ideas come from the students.

"We give them ideas and let them run with it," Kiss said.

This year's slogan is "Walk away from drugs."

The bureau provides all the materials for the decorations to the 
teachers. This year it provided footprint cutouts for students to 
incorporate into their decorations.

Judging will take place next week. The schools with the most 
participation in the decorating contests will receive an undisclosed 
amount of money to purchase something for the schools.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Elaine