Red Ribbon Rally

Eighth graders Meaghan Holley and Nikki Stecich are among student leaders at their school's Red Ribbon Rally. The goal is to teach kids to remain drug- and alcohol-free. 

North Kirkwood Middle School will be one of 80 area schools in the program.

Holley, Stecich and about 900 other students will get leadership training. They'll learn how to teach others about the value of staying off drugs and alcohol. 

Holley said, "Last year, we were taught how to go back to our schools and teach others how to avoid peer pressure to use drugs, tobacco and alcohol." 

The students don't just teach in their school. They also go into elementary schools. 

Stecich was impressed about her training last year. The leadership classes included speeches by Saint Louis University basketball coach Lorenzo Romar and former Cardinals pitcher Rick Horton. 

"They were such good role models for us," she said. 

One of the unusual parts of the Red Ribbon Rally is the planting of tulip bulbs on the school grounds. 

Stecich said, "The tulips were planted near the playground so everyone could see them every day." 

Former President Ronald Reagan's wife, Nancy, announced the first national Red Ribbon Week in 1987. It was in honor of a drug enforcement agent killed in the line of duty.

The death of agent Enrique Camarena got a lot of national publicity. People began wearing red ribbons in his honor. 

It was natural for red tulips to become a symbol for the program. 

Holley said, "Every school gets a bag of tulip bulbs to plant. When the red flowers pop up in the spring, it's a reminder." 

Tulips always bloom in April. That ties in with Alcohol Awareness Month, which is in April. 

This year, there will be three leadership rallies to train students to take projects back to their schools. Then, the Red Ribbon Rally Week is Oct. 23-31. 

The area event is sponsored by the St. Louis area National Council on Alcoholism & Drug Abuse (NCADA). Kelley Weston is the prevention specialist working with the program.

At leadership rallies, students learn about a wide variety of school projects they can sponsor. 

One special part of the this year's city-wide Red Ribbon Rally will be free tickets to a St. Louis Steamer indoor soccer game. Students, teachers and advisors can get a free ticket to the game on Oct. 27. 

After the game, kids can go on the field and meet the players. A disc jockey and refreshments will be offered. For information, call (314) 216-2000. 
 
Connie Otto is a 7th and 8th grade counselor at North Kirkwood Middle School. She works on the Red Ribbon Rally program. 

She said, "The Red Ribbon Rally is part of our school's service learning program. We stress service projects to the community. We've found, if kids are trained to be leaders, they are 'less at risk' to use drugs, alcohol and tobacco." 

Both Meaghan and Nikki participate in other community service projects. 

Meaghan has worked at Faith House, a central-city orphanage for kids born to mothers who were on drugs. "We go down to play with the kids. We also had a Christmas party where we got presents and made cookies," she said.

Nikki has worked at the Today's Lost Children's Ministry. That's a place where kids can go after school to play or study. They go there because there is no one at their home when school is out. 

She said this year "we're going to help refinish a food pantry." She also plans to work with children in an adopted parents program.