“One person can make the difference,” is a quote that the Red Ribbon Campaign lives by. With motivating guest speakers and an exciting dress up week, Woodmore High School hopes to catch the attention of students with information on Red Ribbon Week. Red Ribbon Week is October 21 through October 25 and emphasizes to all students the importance of living a drug-free lifestyle. Almost eighty million people participate in some form to help encourage this week around the entire country.
Although the Red Ribbon foundation is well known, not many know how it originated. Kiki Camarena worked as a special agent for the Drug Enforcement Administration. In Mexico of 1985 he was kidnapped by drug traffickers, his death brought an uproar throughout his community. As a whole, his parents and entire community came together to raise awareness of drugs and the grueling outcome they can leave. In honor of Kiki, red ribbons were worn nationwide and soon afterwards the Red Ribbon Foundation was formed. With 600 schools participating nationwide, this organization hopes to reach just one person who can then make a big difference.
Woodmore will have agents from the Ottawa Country Drug Abuse Response Team speaking to them next week to talk about the effects drugs can have on us. It’s important for all students to be informed on the dangers of drugs and even more important to keep them saying no to drugs. Just one person with aspirations can make a difference and can even leave a ripple effect for others to follow.
