Helicopter kicks off Red Ribbon Days

Crestview Middle School's Red Ribbon Week anti-drug theme was "Make a Louder Noise." What better way to create unusual noise than have a military helicopter drop in on a school rally.

That's just what the school's TREND chapter arranged on Thursday, Oct. 16. The Missouri National Guard helicopter certainly was an attention-getter for kickoff of the school's annual anti-drug campaign.

The school's band and chamber chorus started the rally. Then, the two-man helicopter dropped out of the sky with its engine and rotors creating lots of noise. After the rotors stopped turning, kids got a chance for an up-close view of the helicopter.

The helicopter rally was a unique added feature of this year's Red Ribbon Days at Crestview. The school also had more traditional activities during Red Ribbon Week October 20-24.

Each day, there were different activities to emphasize the drive to avoid drugs, alcohol and smoking. Members of the TREND chapter also distributed special pledge forms during lunch hours. Kids were asked to sign the forms as a way to promise to stay drug-free.

Also, home-made posters and ribbons were posted throughout the school.

Kim Gallagher (left) and Hannah Hamby

For eighth-graders Kim Gallagher and Hannah Hamby, this is their second year as TREND chapter members. There are about 15 chapter members from three grades at Crestview.

About her chapter membership, 13-year-old Kim said, "I like to be a trend-setter." The members did all the planning for this year's Red Ribbon Week activities. The activities included special "dress-up days," when kids dream up unique costumes to wear to school.

In addition, there were special presentations every day of the week. For instance, seventh graders head American Lung Assn. representatives talk about the dangers of smoking.

The TREND chapter members are active at other times of the year also. Many activities center around school fund-raisers. The chapter members have participated in canned food collections to help area food kitchens.

Thirteen-year-old Hannah said the chapter also sponsored a Heifer Project fund-raiser. That raised money to purchase a young cow that was sent to a farm family in a third-world country. She said the group also sponsored a clothing drive.

From left, Karen Saettele, Christina O'Keefe
and Samantha Laiderman

As a sixth grader, 11-year-old Christina O'Keefe is in her first year in the TREND chapter at Crestview. The west St. Louis County school is for sixth, seventh and eighth graders.

Christina said her favorite activity leading to Red Ribbon Week was making posters. But, she added the TREND chapter membership is a good way to make friends. "I like working with other kids," she said.

She also likes to circulate the Red Ribbon message that "drugs are bad for you and can mess up your life."

Eleven-year-old Karen Saettele is another first-year chapter member. She said her elementary school had Red Ribbon Week but she said she also received anti-drug messages at her church.

She said she attends St. Louis Family Church. Karen said, "Our pastor admitted he had done drugs when he was younger. Now, he talks to us about not doing them."

Eleven-year-old Samantha Laiderman is another first-time TREND chapter member. She said her elementary school also celebrated Red Ribbon Week but didn't have a student chapter organization.

She said she likes the idea that the chapter members "got to plan what to do during the Red Ribbon Week." She added, "I like to be on the inside."

Samantha said her parents "like that I get to do something after school." She added, "That makes them happy."

One of the other Red Ribbon Days activities available for kids are "lock-ins." These are overnight events where anti-drug messages are mixed with fun activities. For instance, in October, a number of the Crestview kids took part in a lock-in at The Pointe. That's a recreational complex in Ballwin that has everything from basketball courts to a running track and a large swimming facility.

Teacher Susan Harms is the TREND chapter coordinator at Crestview.

Concerning the helicopter appearance, she said, "We thought the noisy helicopter would fit right into our theme, 'Make a Louder Noise.'" It turned out that it did and the kids had a good time inspecting the military aircraft, which was piloted by two Army pilots.