DEA celebrates 20th Anniversary of Red Ribbon Week
Empire State Building illuminated as part of the nationwide festivities
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Administrator
Karen P. Tandy leads local school children in reciting the
Drug Free Pledge.
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OCT
26 -- (Washington, D.C.) Drug Enforcement Administration Administrator
Karen P. Tandy hosted 200 DC-area schoolchildren, today, at the DEA
Headquarters Red Ribbon Week Event.
Local schools represented at the rally were Ferebee-Hope Elementary
School (Washington D.C.), Meade Middle School (Fort Meade, MD), Daniels
Run Elementary School (Fairfax, VA), and Centerville Elementary School
(Centerville, VA).
Nationally, approximately 80 million people participate in Red Ribbon
events from October 23-31. The National Red Ribbon Campaign, which
is the nation’s largest drug prevention effort, began after drug
traffickers in Mexico tortured and brutally murdered Special Agent
Enrique “Kiki” Camarena in March 1985.
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Administrator Karen P. Tandy (center) and Deputy Administrator
Michele M. Leonhart (left) pose for a photo with 2005 Red Ribbon
essay and poster contest winners. |
“ When
we see children proudly pledge never to use drugs-we see them embrace
Kiki’s spirit and his belief that one person can make a powerful
difference in our battle against drugs,” Tandy told the audience.
DEA’s
20th Anniversary Headquarters event was emceed by local Channel 8
sports personality Glenn Harris and featured performances
by the Jumping Buddies Jumping Team ( an anti-drug jump rope performance
team with 800 members from Virginia schools), and the “DARE” Dancers
(drawn from Drug Abuse Resistance Education students).
In addition, two children from Lake St. George Elementary School
(Palm Harbor, FL) presented Administrator Tandy with thousands
of signed
red ribbons. Since Special Agent Camerena’s murder, American
kids have taken up the banner Kiki inspired—the Red Ribbons they
proudly wear every October. Because of Kiki, millions of children in
big cities and small towns have taken a stand against drugs: pledging
that “drugs are not—and never will be—part of
their lives.”
On Tuesday, the Empire State Building (see photo) was illuminated in
red to mark the 20th anniversary of Red Ribbon Week.
Click
here for more information on Red Ribbon Week>>