Red Ribbon Week is an alcohol, tobacco, drug, and violence prevention campaign observed every year in October across the country. Here at Sewanhaka, the Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) Club organizes their own unique activities and events to spread the message of the campaign throughout the walls of the school.
Red Ribbon Week at Sewanhaka was especially different for SADD club this time around, as the new advisor, Mr. Miranda, took on the responsibility of planning the week’s events for the first time. When asked about the importance of hosting Red Ribbon Week events at Sewanhaka, he explained, “Students are sometimes peer pressured into drugs, or they might see it in their daily lives. So we want to make sure that they’re choosing correctly and making positive choices.” Of course, the way the SADD club effectively accomplishes these goals every year is by hosting interactive events every day during a designated week in October.
This year, the SADD Club kickstarted Red Ribbon Week at Sewanhaka with their “Too Smart to Start” event. Students were offered stickers, activity pages, and a chance to sign pledges to remain drug-free by making positive choices. As the week progressed, more events like “Sports Jersey Day” worked to promote unity among students, faculty, and staff to spread awareness of drug prevention across the school community. While new activities like these were introduced to the campaign this year, more familiar themed initiatives from previous Red Ribbon Weeks made an appearance later in the week. One of these was “Be Red-y to be Drug Free” Day, where everyone was encouraged to wear red to showcase their support for a drug-free lifestyle. The week concluded with a “Kindness Party” held outside of the atrium where students could stop by during their lunch periods to celebrate a week of promoting healthy choices.
The goals and missions of SADD Club do not just end after Red Ribbon Week, though. The club will continue to educate peers about the dangers of destructive behaviors throughout the rest of the school year with events like P.S. I Love You Day. As part of his plans as the new SADD club advisor, Mr. Miranda is developing new initiatives to further expand the club’s reach and impact: “I do want to fundraise more and see what other ways we can support students to not make destructive decisions.” Nonetheless, Red Ribbon Week at Sewanahaka serves as a starting point each school year to strengthen the school community against alcohol, drugs, and violence, as SADD club continues to inspire students to make the right lifestyle decisions all year long.
