All Glendale Council PTA Units
Are encouraged to celebrate
Red Ribbon Week
October 22 – October 26, 2012
“Be Smart, Don’t Start”
Council Contact - Stephanie Shintaku, gshintaku@aol.com
The History Of Ribbon Week
A Community Response To Tragedy
On February 7, 1985, undercover Drug Enforcement Agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena was kidnapped, tortured, and murdered by members of a drug gang in Mexico. It took a search by 500 special U.S. agents to find his battered body in a shallow grave on a ranch in Mexico. He was buried with honors in his hometown of Calexico, California.
Enrique`s congressman, Representative Duncan Hunter, moved by the agent`s death, met with Mr. Henry Lozano, Director of Teen Challenge, and Mr. David Dhillon, a Calexico High School teacher to call for the creation of Camarena Clubs to promote the awareness of the dangers of drug abuse in his 45th Congressional District. This endeavor was supported and assisted by the Camarena family.
In honor of Kiki, the first Camarena Club was formed in April of 1985 at Calexico High School where Kiki Camarena and Henry Lozano graduated in 1966.
The Original Red Ribbon Pledge
On April 20, 1985, 100 students signed the following pledge that was written by Congressman Hunter`s wife, Lynne...
"We, the undersigned students of Calexico High School pledge; in the honor of Enrique Camarena, and all others risking their lives, to stop the flow of drugs, to say no to drugs, to encourage my friends to say no to drugs, to provide support to others who use drugs to help them learn to say no to drugs, to become educated on the dangers of drugs, and provide this information to my community."
On April 26, Mrs. Hunter, Mr. Lozano, Mr. Dhillon, and Calexico High School students presented the signed Camarena Club Pledge to First Lady Nancy Reagan at the National Parent`s Resource Institute for Drug Education Conference in Washington, DC.
On June 16, inspired by Kiki`s sacrifice, the Virginia Federation of Parents and the Illinois Drug Education Alliance called on all Americans to wear red ribbons to symbolize their commitment to fight drug abuse.
The First Red Ribbon Week In California
The first local Red Ribbon Days event, sponsored by the Norwalk/La Mirada Grassroots Alcohol and Drug Education Project (GRADE) and the Norwalk Citizens Against Illicit Drugs, was held on October 28 -- November 4, 1985 in the cities of Norwalk and La Mirada, California. In October of 1986, Californians for Drug-Free Youth, Inc. sponsored the first statewide celebration of Red Ribbon Week.
Kiki`s Memory Unites The Nation To Fight Substance Abuse
In 1988, under the leadership of the National Family Partnership, with Nancy Reagan as Honorary Chairperson, Congress proclaimed the first 8-day Red Ribbon Week. Since then, the Red Ribbon movement to remember and honor Kiki`s death and raise drug awareness is celebrated by millions of students and teachers, along with community organizations, service clubs, businesses, faith communities, and law enforcement agencies. Today, Red Ribbon Week is held in thousands of schools and communities all across America.
WAYS TO CELEBRATE RED RIBBON WEEK
- Host an essay contest at your school
- Encourage classes to decorate their classroom doors
- Wear wristlets and decorate the school with ribbons
- Read a Red Ribbon Pledge at your PTA unit meeting
- Ask your school community to suggest other ideas
- Host a parent education program at your school site
- Classroom exercises http://www.imdrugfree.com/, then click on Red Ribbon Week
Activity ideas, and scroll down and click on "Here are some Classroom
Exercises.
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