The streets of East Helena became a mass of children clad in red shirts marching and chanting against drug and alcohol abuse during Tuesdays Red Ribbon Week parade.

The annual parade kicked off at 2 p.m. bringing the entirety of the East Helena School District together, with parents and members of the community lining the streets to cheer the kids on. Some carried banners. Some played instruments. But all wore red ribbons to show their support for drug-free schools.

We have a strong tradition of supporting Red Ribbon Week with dressup days, and the parade as the pinnacle event, said East Valley Middle School principal Dan Rispens. The younger kids get to march in the parade, and at the same time we get the middle school kids out to cheer for them.

The theme for the week running from Oct. 23-30 is, Respect yourself, respect your health, be drug free, and the parade represents just one of themed dress-up days. On Monday, kids wore red, white and blue to stand united against drugs. On Tuesday, they donned team jerseys to team up against drugs. Parade day on Wednesday meant wearing red. On Thursday, kids are encouraged to invest in their future by wearing a vest. On Friday, kids can show that drugs are scary by wearing orange and black.

East Valley Middle School also holds a door decorating contest, with the winning classroom receiving a pizza party, Rispens said.

The National Red Ribbon Celebration traces its roots back to 1985 when parents and young people across the United States began wearing red ribbons after the murder of DEA agent Enrique Camarena in Mexico. First sponsored by the National Family Partnership in 1988, wearing the ribbons shows awareness of the violence and dangers of drugs in America, according to the organizations website.

East Helena police, fire department and ambulances led the parade from Radley School to East Valley Middle School. Teachers marched alongside their students and members of the community. Before long, the entire east half of Main Street was a sea of red, with some classes singing songs and others echoing chants of staying drug free.

Along with substance abuse, Red Ribbon Week also carries a message of anti-bullying, Rispens said, and East Valley will hold an assembly on Monday to talk to students about self-esteem.

As the last red wave of students made their way to East Valley, parents greeted them while teachers counted heads marking a successful parade and awareness campaign.

East Helena has always shown tremendous wiliness to support the parade and the message behind it, Rispens said.

Read the rest here:

East Helena Schools turn red against drug abuse