Pubdate: Sun, 29 Oct 2006
Source: Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal (Tupelo, MS)
Copyright: 2006 Journal Publishing Company
Contact:  http://www.djournal.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/823
Author: Ginny Miller

SCHOOLS SOCK IT TO DRUGS WITH RED RIBBON WEEK ACTIVITIES

Area students wore caps, ties and mismatched socks and also planted 
flowers during Red Ribbon Week. Observed each year from Oct. 23-31, 
the Red Ribbon Campaign is the oldest and largest drug prevention 
program in the country.

"Our highlight for the week was the whole school planting red tulip 
bulbs," said Jennifer Homan, counselor at Parkway Elementary in Tupelo.

The Red Ribbon Campaign was started after drug traffickers in Mexico 
City murdered Kiki Camarena, a DEA agent, in 1985. In honor of 
Camarena's memory, friends and neighbors began to wear red badges of 
satin. Parent coalitions took note, adopting the red ribbon as a 
symbol of the fight against drugs.

The National Family Partnership organized the first national Red 
Ribbon Campaign in 1988, and on its Web site suggests a variety of 
ways schools can get involved. One of them is through "Plant the Promise."

On Oct. 24, Homan said Parkway students planted 400 bulbs in their 
discovery garden in honor of the Red Ribbon theme. Other activities 
included wearing crazy socks in an effort to "sock it to drugs."

Church Street Elementary had similar activities throughout the week. 
After wearing socks, caps, ties and sports jerseys on designated 
days, students wore all red on Friday.

Lee County Sheriff Jim Johnson spoke to students during Red Ribbon 
assemblies at Shannon Elementary and Guntown Middle School.

"When you're speaking to kids, it's got to be more than 'just say no 
to drugs,'" said Johnson, who attends such events with Zorra, his 
department's bomb-sniffing dog.

The canine can never be around drugs or else its true talents will be 
ruined, Johnson said. "That's the kind of message that I use."
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MAP posted-by: Elaine