Rota school marks Red Ribbon Week

In celebration of the National Red Ribbon Week, the Pacific Regional
Training Institute kicked off its anti-substance abuse program at
Eskuelan San Francisco de Borja on Rota.

The DARE/GUTS program is headed by SSgt. Edward Maratita, Jr. and
assisted by the Western Regional Training Center, based out of Los
Angeles, California.

National Red Ribbon Week commemorates an incident in 1985, when drug
traffickers in Mexico City murdered Kiki Camerena, a U.S. Drug
Enforcement agent. The murder sparked what is now the oldest and
largest drug prevention program in the nation, the Red Ribbon
Campaign. (Hollywood made a movie about this true story called Drug
Wars.)

According to Maratita, the campaign began the tradition of wearing a
red ribbon as a symbol of intolerance toward the used of drugs.

Each year, the last week of October has come to be recognized as
National Red Ribbon Week and several activities have been planned to
show the school's commitment to a drug-free school and community.

To kick off the event, a few select ESFDB students will join other
students at Guam Premier Outlets on Oct. 26, 2006, to take part in
various community outreach program sponsored by the Guam National
Guard Counterdrug office, the Government of Guam, and its community
partners.

The event will be followed the next day by the Red Ribbon Week 5k
Run/Walk at Ypao Beach Park. Later in the evening, the school is
having a fundraiser to be held at Hilton Guam Resort and Spa. The
event is scheduled from 6pm to 11pm. Entertainment will be provided
and lots of giveaways will be raffled out.

Also planned for Oct. 28 is a drug-free carnival and poster contest,
which will be held at Ypao Beach Park. The carnival will have games,
food, and entertainment for all ages and family members.

Substance abuse on the CNMI, Guam, and other countries has contributed
to a myriad of community problems from teenage pregnancies to broken
homes and crimes.