Red Ribbon Week is an annual event celebrated nationwide to promote drug awareness and prevention among young people. This event educates communities about the dangers of drug use and the importance of living a drug-free life.
Red Ribbon Week is run by Students Against Destructive Decisions (S.A.D.D). This is Megan Yingling’s second year of being the adviser of S.A.D.D.. Senior Sydney Hockenos is the president and has been a member since her freshman year. During the week of Oct. 21, students and staff participate in dress down days and signing the pledge. The pledge is one of the most important elements to the week as it encourages individuals to commit to a drug-free lifestyle.
“It means something to me that students understand what it means to live a healthy life,” Yingling said. “I was in S.A.D.D. when I was in high school; it was called ‘Students Against Drunk Driving’ rather than ‘Destructive Decisions’. It has become broader to teach not only the importance of preventing drunk driving but also the safety of other substance abuse.”
The statement signifies a personal commitment to abstain from drugs and to actively contribute to creating a safer environment. By taking the pledge, participants not only promise to avoid substance abuse themselves but also to support friends and family in making similar choices. Freshman Katie Thomas signed the pledge during lunch.
“Signing the pledge meant something to me because it was showing I was against the use of drugs, and I hope by doing so to encourage other students to sign it and be drug free,” Thomas said.
The week is meant to be engaging and about raising awareness. To involve all students, the guidance office teamed up with S.A.D.D. club to develop themes for each day. Students were to wear red on Monday, twin with someone on Tuesday, pajamas on Wednesday, favorite sports team on Thursday and favorite movie star on Friday. The meaning behind Friday’s theme plays into the slogan for the nationwide week, “Life is a movie, film drug free.”
Guidance counselor Amanda Prosser has created the themes for Red Ribbon Week for three years now. Prosser’s first year was as a guidance intern followed by receiving the job as a counselor.
“I picked the themes that I thought kids would enjoy and tried to get them to participate. I wanted to tie it in with what Red Ribbon Week does as a whole, for example Friday’s theme to dress as your favorite movie star,” Prosser said.
Red Ribbon Week serves as a reminder of the importance of making healthy decisions and fostering a supportive community. It helps empower individuals to stand against drugs and promote a positive change for all.
“As president of Students Against Destructive Decisions, I think that it is very important for students to not only participate in Red Ribbon Week but to understand the meaning behind it. Creating healthy habits now is not only beneficial for us in the present but can help build a strong foundation for the future,” Hockenos said.
