Fulton students kick off Red Ribbon Week

Fulton Middle School students line up Friday afternnoon, Oct. 21, 2016 for 'Pony Express' races, an event helping to kick off Red Ribbon Week, which starts Monday.
Fulton Middle School students line up Friday afternnoon, Oct. 21, 2016 for 'Pony Express' races, an event helping to kick off Red Ribbon Week, which starts Monday.

Fulton Middle School students plan to collect so much canned food in Principal Beth Hoef's office this week she cannot get through the door.

Spirit Days, part of the school's Red Ribbon Week, start Monday, when students are asked to wear red and pledge to be drug free. Tuesday is all about Western wear and cowboy boots, while Wednesday, their clothing can reflect their dreams. Thursday's theme is "Star Wars," and Friday is Hornet Spirit day.

But last Friday, Cowgirl Jessie and Woody - looking suspiciously like Hoef and Assistant Principal Steve Kerr - got their students on board for the upcoming event with an assembly. Teachers - or Miley Cyrus and her dancers - danced around the gym, and students competed in events such as a Pony Express ride with teams carrying jockeys across the floor.

"Woody" said Red Ribbon Week serves as a powerful catalyst to educate children about the dangers of illicit drugs.

The National Red Ribbon Campaign came out of terrible circumstances. Enrique (Kiki) Camarena was a Drug Enforcement Administration agent who was tortured and killed in Mexico in 1985. In his memory, his friends and neighbors began wearing red badges of satin, from which the red ribbon transpired.

The first national red ribbon celebration was in 1988, driven by the National Family Partnership. This year, Red Ribbon Week starts today with the theme, "YOLO - Be Drug Free," and the social media hashtag, #youonlyliveonce.

Two Fulton High School students, sophomores Heidi Royer and Kristine Malone, addressed the middle schoolers.

Royer said students can avoid the temptation to try drugs by filling their lives up with important things, such as being actively involved in and out of school.

"Things will be so much easier for you if you just do your school work - I promise you," she said.

Malone said she was scared to speak in front of such a large group but did so anyway.

"Making good choices in school can lead to positive outcomes," she said. "This is a new experience for me. I'm scared out of my mind. But to be successful, this is something I need to do."