Every year around October, students wear red and walk the track to celebrate Red Ribbon Week.  Most students have no idea what the purpose of this week is for.  We wear red in support of being drug and bully free.  Every year Miss Stine hosts a walk/run for the event, and since 1995 it has been a success. She invites everyone in the community to be a guest walker and we need all the miles we can get.  Whenever you pass a certain point on the track, a “counter” counts each person’s laps in order to figure out the miles our community has walked or ran. This year Miss Stine wants everyone to know the importance and history of Red Ribbon Week.

Twenty-eight years ago, on February 7, 1985, a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agent named Enrique Camarena was ruthlessly murdered.  He had unlocked a multibillion dollar drug pipeline and was killed shortly after his discovery.  After this shocking incident many citizens decided to chose a red ribbon as a symbol of being drug free.  Schools, workplaces, and communities all around accepted the ribbon proudly.  Three years after the murder, the U.S. Congress established Red Ribbon Week, and it has been celebrated every year since then.

The Brownstown Elementary will be celebrating Red Ribbon Week everyday.  Starting on Monday, October 21st, children are encouraged to wear lots of red.  On Tuesday, students will be wearing sunglasses and bright clothes, because their futures are so bright.  Wednesday in support of the ridiculousness of drugs, the halls will be full of crazy and mismatched clothes.  Remember on Thursday to bring your cans for the local food banks. Finally on Friday everyone will be ending the week by “teaming” up against drugs by wearing their favorite team clothes, or school spirit attire.

At Brownstown Schools, the goals are simple: healthy people do not need drugs, you should go the distance every day of your life, friends will always be there to encourage you, and working together, we can make a difference. These lessons should stay with us everyday of our life, not just while we are walking, wearing red, or taking part in Red Ribbon Week. It is important to remember the history of the event, and to support being drug free.

By Michaela Walk