RETRO BILL TELLS MPISD STUDENTS IMPORTANCE OF STAYING DRUG FREE

Hollywood motivational speaker and performer Retro Bill stopped by
Mount Pleasant Independent School District campuses this week as part
of his 300-days a year nationwide school tour delivering inspirational
messages to students of all ages to stay drug free in order achieve
their dreams.Retro Bill has appeared on Nickelodeon, CNN, Fox, and
NBC, as well as other national media outlets and has his own DVD and
radio show. Retro Bill spoke to third and fourth grade MPISD students
last year, but MPISD Chief of Police Hayes Lesher said his impact was
so great, they wanted him to do more shows this year and reach more
students.

"He only spent 45 minutes to an hour with those kids last year," Chief
Lesher said, "but they still remember him like he's an uncle. The
impact he has is just amazing. He captivates them and the message
stays with them. That really helps us."

Retro Bill performed eight shows this week on all MPISD campuses to
over 9,000 students, including a Family Show at the Titus County Civic
Center on Tuesday night. "He had an unbelievable show at the Civic
Center last night," Chief Lesher said, who estimated the crowd to be
between 350 and 400 people.

Retro Bill was hosted by the MPISD Police Department who also used
grant funds and funds from Region VIII to bring the popular performer
back to the students.

"The reality is we've got drugs," Chief Lesher said, "and we're
fighting it. We're doing everything we possibly can. The students
remember him and he says all the right things against drugs. I just
think it's reinforcement from what they are getting from police
officers and from home. And if they aren't getting it at home, then
it's even more important."

One of Retro Bill's shows was performed to seventh and eighth graders
at Mount Pleasant Junior High on Tuesday afternoon.

"The officer said I'm here to talk about drugs," Retro Bill said after
he was introduced, "but really I'm going to talk about making your
dreams come true."

Retro Bill told the students he knew there were many in the room that
would never do drugs.

"But sadly, there are students who think they know everything and they
don't listen to police officers and counselors who try to help them
make a good decision," he said.

He urged students to choose their friends carefully and not be around
other students who may do drugs because those students are not
pursuing their dreams. He also said using drugs and alcohol is no way
to deal with problems.

"The only way you can deal with an issue is not make things worse by
using drugs or alcohol," he said. "Deal with it in a healthy way and
get it off your back. If you talk to an adult or to a counselor,
listen to them and follow their advice to make good choices. If you
don't deal with issues now when you're in Junior High, they will
probably become a lot worse when you get to high school. Deal with
them now."

He told students he had dinner with Michael Jordan in Chicago, and
Jordan told him kids used to laugh at him because he would tell them
he was going to be the most famous basketball player in the world.
But, Retro Bill said, Jordan didn't care and stayed away from drugs to
fulfill his dreams.

"Every single day you're in school you've made a good choice that will
help get you to your dreams," he said. "Every good choice, every
homework assignment you complete, every day you go to school, you are
taking a step towards your dreams and what you want to be. You've just
got to make the good choice."

He asked students in the audience to say what they wanted to be when
they got older, and he heard responses such as a rapper, model, real
estate salesman, singer, nurse, chef, and doctor. He encouraged all
these students to stay away from drugs and focus on their dreams.

"If you believe in your dreams, it gives you every reason in the world
to tell someone who wants you to smoke pot, 'No,'" he told the
students. "I guarantee if you never give up on your dreams, they will
come true. The choice is always yours and the rewards are great."

Lesher said he will be working to have Retro Bill return again next
year.

"We're going to do our best to get him back," Lesher said. "We have
had a really large amount of positive feedback from the community. It
doesn't get much more positive than this."