Rockwood South Middle kids
plan Red Ribbon Week

Last month, kids from Rockwood South Middle School got a head-start on planning for this year's Red Ribbon Week. In the October event, kids work to promote drug-, smoke- and alcohol-free behavior in their schools.

The Rockwood kids sponsored a garage sale and a car wash this summer to earn money to pay their way to the 2002 National TREND Conference. The 4-day event was held at the Doubletree Hotel in Chesterfield in early August.

The Rockwood South kids even had a display booth to show others about their program.

Red Ribbon Week is in October. This year, it's Oct. 21-25. St. Louis area kids will get Red Ribbon Week training Oct. 1, 3 and 4.

If your school would like to participate, call Ginny Shaller at the St. Louis office of the National Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NCADA) at (314) 962-3456.

Mary Corsair is the sponsor of the Rockwood South Middle School's TREND program. That school has one of the most comprehensive programs in the St. Louis metro area.

One popular event is Drunk Driving Awareness Day, when "grim reapers" stalk the school halls. The "grim reapers" are kids dressed in black costumes and masks like those worn in the movie "Scream."

Every few minutes during one school day, a "grim reaper" will tag a student to represent a drunk driving victim. National statistics indicate someone dies as a result of a drunk-driving accident every 20 minutes.

Heather Haberberger

Last year, 12-year-old Toni Maraldo and 12-year-old Heather Haberberger got to be "grim reapers." Heather said, "We went into a class and picked out one person. Then, we make them look dead."

That involves painting the kid's face white with black markings around the eyes. The victims then couldn't talk during the rest of the day. Each kid also wore a hand-made sign identifying him as a drunk driving victim.

The kids said that by the end of the day the number of white-faced victims made it pretty easy to spot them in the halls during the change of classes.

Megan Campbell

Twelve-year-old Megan Campbell was one of the victims last year. But, she's hoping for better things this year. "I want to be a grim reaper this year," the seventh-grader said.

She said not talking was hard for her. The only good part of that was that she wasn't picked as a victim until after the lunch period. "If I had been picked in first period and not be able to talk all day--that would have been really hard," she joked.

The "grim reaper" event is just one of the special activities being planned at Rockwood South Middle School this year. The kids will be putting the final touches on this year's program during September.

Last year, Heather Haberberger's dad, Joe, helped by providing tulip bulbs for the school's garden. Red tulips are the official flower of Red Ribbon Days. The bulbs are planted during Red Ribbon Week in the fall.

Then, when they come up in the spring, they help promote the national Alcohol Awareness Month and the Great American Smokeout in April.

Another feature of Rockwood South Middle's past programs has been the creation of "warm fuzzies." Those are tiny red pompoms made out of knitting yarn. Then are worn around the neck like a necklace during Red Ribbon days.

Marjorie Powers

Twelve-year-old Marjorie Powers said "warm fuzzies" are "fun to make and pass out to other kids."

They also pass out individual red ribbons to other kids and make red ribbon displays for every door in the school.

Twelve-year-old London Hansbrough said he helped make red ribbon displays and posted some of them in the nearby Chesterfield Mall.

Asked about the TREND chapter at school, he said, "I get to help other kids and talk to them about not using drugs."

The TREND kids also are active elsewhere in school and in the community.

Marjorie Powers is in her fifth year with the Muny Kids program. She appeared in Peter Pan this summer at the Muny. She also plays violin in the school orchestra.

Toni Maraldo is in the school choir and on the advisory council for TREND. Heather Haberberger is in orchestra, choir and in the school's art club.

Megan Campbell will be on the student council and is in the choir and in school plays.

London Hansbrough is in the choir and "this year, I'm going to do basketball."

London Hansbrough