Red Ribbon Week 2019

WHY A RED RIBBON In Enrique Camarena, was kidnapped, tortured, and killed in Mexico. He left behind a wife, three young sons, and a community outraged by the senseless destruction caused by drugs.

Residents in his hometown of Calexico, California began wearing red ribbons in his honor. Agent Camarena believed that one person would make a difference.

Shortly thereafter, the National Family Partnership adopted red ribbons as a symbol of its commitment to fight the illegal use of drugs. National Red Ribbon Week has become the most visible time of year for substance abuse prevention efforts.

Hello Friends of WNY United,

It’s almost fall and for Substance Abuse Prevention Providers around the country, October is a busy time of year! It’s National Substance Abuse Awareness month and National Red Ribbon Week is October 23-31! It’s the time of year to pay attention and make sure all children are getting the information and skills they need to make safe and healthy choices when it comes to drugs and alcohol. During this week we focus needed attention on these community problems and provide opportunities for schools, communities, children and their families to get involved in a positive way.

As you read the headlines, our communities are still concerned about the growing rise in opioid and heroin addiction as well as many mental health issues. It is a problem we all need to be concerned about. More importantly we need to be concerned about addiction in general and the devastating affects it has on children, adults and families. The cost of addiction is not only monetary but it erodes people’s health, damages school or work performance and destroys the lives of those addicted and the people around them.

October and Red Ribbon Week provides us with the opportunity to spread the word that all children are NOT using drugs and alcohol and that they ARE engaging in many positive activities. This week is the week to reinforce positive behaviors, introduce new activities that you can do together, and talk with your kids about the dangers of drugs and alcohol. Our goal is to prevent young people from ever starting to use.

“Send A Message. Stay Drug Free” is this year’s theme. We will be focusing on strategies to help children and parents remain drug free and reinforce that they are in charge of the messages they send to others. Through their own behaviors, they can be their child’s first teacher and model healthy lifestyles. We invite all of you to participate in this year’s campaign by wearing a Red Ribbon during October and to have open lines of communication with your children.

WNY United is here to answer any questions. So please feel free to contact us at 821-7722 or visit our website at www.wnyunited.org. We cannot do this work alone, so thank you for all you do to keep our kids drug free!

Sincerely,

Beth Anzalone, CPP

WNY UNITED Against Drug & Alcohol Abuse, Inc.

SEND A MESSAGE. STAY DRUG FREE.

DID YOU KNOW?Children of parents who talk to their teens regularly about drugs are 42% less likely to use drugs than those who don’t; yet, only a quarter of teens report having these conversations.

Red Ribbon Week (October 23-31), the oldest and largest drug prevention campaign in the nation, is your opportunity to get the ongoing conversation started.

This year’s theme is Send A Message. Stay Drug Free. Visit www.redribbon.org to learn more about Red Ribbon Week and get tips for talking to your kids about drugs. The life you save may be that of your own child or a dear friend.

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• Decorate the school or office with red bows.

• Schedule a speaker to talk to the students about the dangers of substance abuse.

• Make small red bows for students and staff members to wear every day during Red Ribbon Week. Those who wear it every day win a prize.

• Deliver a drug prevention message every day during the morning announcements.

• Make healthy choices! Pick an apple instead of a donut and run around after school rather than sitting in front of the TV!

• Use the theme to decorate each classroom door and then each class competes for the best door.

• Host your own rally!

• Sign the Pledge To Grow Up Safe, Healthy & Drug Free. Create a “Wall of Pledges” in the main hallway.

• Participate in WNY United’s coloring activity and earn a ticket to the annual “Red Ribbon Baseball Game” next spring.

• Snap a picture of you doing something healthy and email it to kchudoba@wnyunited.

• Organize a “March Against Drugs” parade around your school or community

• Enter into the 2019 Red Ribbon Photo Contest. For more information visit https://redribbon.org/contest/

• Other Theme Day Ideas: Put A Cap on Drugs day (hat day), Sock It To Drugs day (crazy sock day), Shade Out Drugs day (sunglass day), Boot Out Drugs day (wear boots)!

Share Your Ideas or Photos with us of how you celebrate Red Ribbon Week. Email kchudoba@wnyunited.org or on facebook(facebook.com/WNYUnited) or twitter (@wny_united)!

SEND A MESSAGE. STAY DRUG FREE.Red Ribbon Suggested Activities

Need ideas for your involvement, here are just a few:“Recognize Role Models Day”“Parents, faculty and staff can all appreciate “Recognize Role Models Day” as students fill out their special ribbons to give to adults that have helped them to stay drug free through their examples, love, and support. Use the pattern on page 3 or create your own!

“Wear Red Day”“Wear Red Day” is Red Ribbon Week’s longest running theme day! Encouraging everyone to wear as much red as possible today. Highlight your outfit with red ribbons. You can emphasize participation by offering a prize to the students who wear the most red.

“Take a Stand Day”Red Ribbon Week is about making a pledge to ourselves, our families and our communities to stay drug free. Create a “Take a Stand” day and encourage everyone to wear red and highlight the drug free commitment by creating a bulletin board in the classrooms, or decorating your classroom door and announcing that you are “Standing Up and Saying No to Drugs.”

“Team Up Against Drugs Day”Encourage everyone to wear their favorite sports team jerseys or t-shirts along with red ribbons. This is a great reminder that everyone has a part to play in the TEAM effort to stop substance abuse! WNY United and the Buffalo Bisons Team Up to show their spirit in staying drug free. The coloring activity and photo contest offer students the chance to win tickets to the annual “Red Ribbon Baseball Game” with the Buffalo Bisons next Spring. All the information is included in this mailer.

“Create Your Own Red Ribbon Theme Day”Here’s a chance to create a theme at your school or in your community to support Red Ribbon Week. Choose a theme and make sure it’s RED! Share your theme and photos with us via facebook (facebook.com/WNYUnited) or email them directly to us at kchudoba@wnyunited.org.

“Drugs are Scary Day”Many schools and community organizations make their Halloween activities more meaningful by tying in the Red Ribbon anti-drug theme, “Drugs are Scary!” Incorporate signs with drug free slogans at your Halloween costume parades and parties.

Other Ideas!

“Recognize Role Models Day”

Adults can play a crucial role in keeping kids drug free simply by being supportive, kind, caring, interested, available, and acting as positive role models. Why not give the kids you care about the opportunity to recognize the adults in their lives that make a difference everyday?

Simply make copies of the patterns below or create your own. Have the students cut out and color the ribbons and encourage them to hand out these ribbons to their favorite adults throughout the day. Encourage the faculty, counselors, and staff members to wear all the ribbons they receive. What a great way to spread the message of Red Ribbon Week while recognizing the adults who are so crucial to the prevention effort.

Order your Red Ribbon Merchandise here:https://nimcoinc.com/product-category/drug-prevention-red-ribbon-week/2019-red-ribbon-week-official-theme/

2019 Red Ribbon Photo and Coloring Pledge Activity The effort to keep kids away from drugs goes on every day but fall is a time of special importance. From October 23rd - 31st, “National Red Ribbon Week” will be observed in schools and communities across the country. People from all walks of life will wear red ribbons and clothing, decorate schools in red, stage parades, rallies, and assemblies to show their commitment to living their one life free of the abuse of drugs.

Once again, The Buffalo Bisons are helping WNY United Against Drug & Alcohol Abuse with two fun activities that will spread the drug free message! A coloring activity on the reverse of these page and the annual “Red Ribbon Game” in the Spring, read on to see how you can participate.

For Fifth Grade and Younger

Students up to grade five should draw a picture of themselves with Buster Bison, using the back of this page. The whole sheet should then be colored and the information filled in legibly. Every student completing the activity will receive a free ticket to the Bisons “Red Ribbon Game” this coming spring at Sahlen’s Field! All sheets must arrive at the WNY United office no later than December 6, 2019.

Mail them to Red Ribbon Coloring Contest, WNY United, 1195 Niagara Street. Buffalo, NY 14213. All drawings become property of WNY United and will not be returned.

For Sixth - Twelfth Grades

Students in sixth through twelfth grades can share a picture of themselves doing something healthy. Students should use the following guidelines:

1. SNAP a picture of yourself doing something healthy; for example, enjoying a healthy snack, doing physical activity, reading, or any healthy alternative.

2. SHARE the picture on Facebook or Twitter using the hashtag #WNYUnitedRR until December 6, 2019. •OR email us at kchudoba@wnyunited.org •All entries will receive a free ticket to the Bisons “Red Ribbon Game” •Some pictures may be displayed on the scoreboard at the “Red Ribbon Game” this spring! •Keep it tasteful!! Inappropriate photos will be deleted and will not be eligible for a ticket.

Post to our wall! facebook.com/WNYUnited Mention us on Twitter @wny_united

2019 Red Ribbon Coloring Pledge Activity

Buster Bison and his friends want you to be healthy and drug free! Draw a picture of yourself doing something healthy, fun, and drug free. Color the whole page, sign it, and give it to your teacher. You’ll get a free ticket to the Red Ribbon Bisons Game next season!

Name:______________________________________________________________

Age:____________ Grade:__________ Teacher:_______________________________________

Classroom:_________________________ School:______________________________________________

I pledge to be healthy and drug free!!

Sign:____________________________________________________ Date:____________________________________