Red Ribbon Week Activities Kick Off with a Troupe Performances and Ends with a Gala Hosted by Mayor Donald Villere

Prepare to see "RED" the entire month of October. PRIDE, Youth and Community Resources will partner with Mayor Villere, Platinum Sponsors, Hurtegurten, It's Your Vacation Inc. and LLOG exploration, and a special thanks to Lake 94.7, Speedway Printing, Benedict's Plantation and many other businesses in St. Tammany and Washington Parishes that support and promote drug-free awareness and education.

The month-long events will include many activities leading up to national week, October 23, 2015-October 31, 2015 with schools handing out red ribbon wrist bands and the Troupe will also perform at several schools in the area to promote their drug-free message.

During Red Ribbon Week, October 22-31st, PRIDE plans to distribute over 100,000 red wristbands to school children all over St. Tammany, as well as business patrons in the area. The wristbands read, "Respect yourself, be Drug Free."

The Gala will take place at Benedict's Plantation on October 30, 2015. Your $45.00 ticket will include a magnetic and electrical evening of lights, dining, music, dancing, guest speakers, raffles, a live and silent auction which will include a cruise worth $5,000 to Alaska, and much more!

To order tickets, please visit-www.prideresources.org/RED-RIBBON-GALA.

PRIDE's Executive Director Wendy Ruby said, "The wristbands offer adults and youth the opportunity to join together in a united voice against underage drinking and drug abuse. By displaying their commitment to be drug-free by wearing the wristband, people in the community can present a strong message to everyone that St. Tammany will not tolerate drugs and underage drinking in our community."

Posters commemorating the week will be distributed to businesses in the area along with wristbands to hand out to customers. Event organizers are hoping the business community will respond to the event by decorating storefronts with red balloons and putting red merchandise on a special display.

"We want to paint the town red in every way possible," Ruby said.

Business owners are also encouraged to offer discounts or other incentives to customers who wear wristbands during the week as well, Ruby stated.

Schools in St. Tammany area will also be asked to participate in a poster contest as well as a door decorating contest. The schools will receive packets that will include drug awareness public service announcements to be read each morning to students and will be delivered before Oct. 10th, so schools will have time to prepare their campuses for the event. A booklet of age-related activities for grades K through five will be distributed to the Safe & Drug-free coordinators at schools to help teachers plan activities for their students.

A school spirit contest will also be held for the school with the best planned activities for promoting drug-free awareness in their school that week. Event organizers will judge each school's schedule and award $50 to the school with the best activities planned.

Members of the PRIDE Troupe will also be visiting businesses throughout the area during Red Ribbon Week to hand out information to customers about keeping children drug-free and to educate parents on the dangers of underage drinking, bulling and social media.

The Red Ribbon Campaign was started in 1985 when drug traffickers in Mexico City murdered a DEA agent. Friends and neighbors wore red badges in the agent's honor to show they would continue his fight against illegal drugs. This began the continuing tradition of wearing and displaying red ribbons as a symbol of intolerance towards the use of drugs.

The PRIDE Troupe is made up of over 100 high school students from St. Tammany Parish that performs a dramatic presentation at local high schools and junior highs encouraging students to live a safe and drug-free lifestyle, as well as encouraging students to be kind to others and the dangers of social media. The students, who pledge to remain drug and alcohol free throughout their high school years, also work in the community providing drug prevention and educational activities. The Troupe is currently involved in a campaign to reduce underage drinking in the parish. They also participate in many other community service events. They are all dedicated to taking a stand and becoming the leaders of tomorrow.

Please visit our website-www.prideresources.org to see how PRIDE, Youth and Community Resources is training the youth of today to be the leaders of tomorrow.

PRIDE is a local non-profit organization based in Covington that works to educate the community about substance abuse and coordinates programs to help prevent drug abuse and mitigate its effects. PRIDE was established locally in 1983 and is one of the main resources for drug prevention in the area. The organization facilitates, the Second Chance program, LifeSkills Program and other drug intervention and prevention programs. For more information about Red Ribbon Week or PRIDE programs visit www.prideresouces.org or call (985) 727-7710.

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