By Mary O'Callaghan
This week, the WPHS SADD club (Students Against Destructive Decisions) will mark Red Ribbon Week by asking everyone to wear red to Zoom classes on Wednesday, October 28 and to send their selfies to the yearbook committee.
Red Ribbon Week is an annual campaign for awareness, education, and advocacy for the prevention of drug and alcohol abuse. It began to honor the death of DEA Agent Enrique Camarena in 1985, when families across the nation wore red ribbons as symbols “of their commitment to raise awareness of the killing and destruction caused by drugs in America”(https://www.redribbon.org/about).
This is in line with SADD’s own mission to raise awareness about issues like substance abuse and mental health. SADD participates in building-wide activities and helps students learn lifelong skills to confront and manage stress in order to avoid pressures in the future. The club’s advisor, Student Assistance Counselor Valerie Sutton, said, “Red Ribbon Week is really known as a time where we celebrate being drug-free and having a healthy lifestyle.”
Even though a lot of people are at home, there has never been a more perfect time to unite as a community and celebrate staying healthy! “This has been the weirdest time,” said Ms. Sutton. “I think everyone’s struggling in a lot of different ways. But I think that Red Ribbon Week is about celebrating being healthy, and within being healthy is reaching out if you ever need support.”
Don’t be afraid to reach out to your guidance counselors, teachers or your friends to talk. You can also contact Ms. Sutton to talk about anything if you text @b4f933k to 810-10 or email valeriesutton@wpcsd.k12.ny.us.