The National Family Partnership and the federal Drug Enforcement Administration are asking Dunedin families to consider putting their Halloween decorating on hold in favor of decking their halls for Red Ribbon Week.
Families that do just might win a $1,000 drug prevention grant for a Dunedin area school and an iPad for their homes during this year’s Red Ribbon Week campaign.
The 27th annual Red Ribbon Week celebration runs Oct. 23-31 this year. The recognition was created in 1985 after a DEA agent was killed. Now, parents, students and teachers in towns across America celebrate the week as a way to raise awareness about the dangers of drugs.
This year’s Red Ribbon Week message is: “The Best Me Is Drug Free.”
Students and their families can enter the contest to win prizes for themselves and their schools by decorating their front doors, homes, mailboxes or fences to fit this year’s theme. Once that’s done, all they need to do is take a photo of their decorating and upload it at www.redribbon.org/contest or www.facebook.com/RedRibbonWeek. The deadline to enter is Nov. 2 and contest entrants need to be age 18 or parents.
Once the photos are in, a voting campaign begins. Entrants can ask their friends, families and schools to vote by going to www.redribbon.org/vote between Nov.2-16.
A total of 10 winners will be selected from across the country. Winners will be declared at school-based events in December, according to a media release from the National Family Partnership.
“Students will once again take Red Ribbon Week’s message of prevention home to their neighborhoods with this national contest,” said the NFP’s Volunteer President Peggy Sapp. “By decorating their homes together with this year’s Red Ribbon theme, families carry the message to their communities.”
The DEA is co-sponsoring this year’s national contest. "DEA is excited to partner with the National Family Partnership on this contest that empowers communities to come together to talk about the drug problem,” said DEA Administrator Michele M. Leonhart. “Red Ribbon Week is also when we honor DEA Special Agent Enrique ‘Kiki’ Camarena, who made the ultimate sacrifice to keep our communities safe.”
For more information, visit the contest website.
