RED RIBBON RALLY KICKS OFF AT RYON PARK

10/24/99 Five-year-old Frank Elliott had his mind made up. He decided he
wanted YMCA volunteer Lucy Johnson to paint a spider on his cheek.

"Boys like creepy things," Johnson said, brush in hand. While waiting
patiently for the free face painting, Elliott also said he liked the free
hot dogs at Saturday's Red Ribbon Week Kickoff Rally "because they're yummy."

But besides eating the free hot dogs at the event, Elliott's mom said the
youngster is also gobbling up the message of the red ribbon buttoned to his
shirt.

"He always says that thing on TV, "I'd rather eat a bug than do drugs,'"
said Marsha Elliott, laughing.

She said taking him to the kickoff was part of an effort her family is
making to steer the youngster away from drugs.

"We want him to have that good atmosphere," Elliott said. "There's fun
things to do in Lompoc besides drugs."

That is the exact message organizers of the rally were trying to get across
to area children, filling Ryon Park with entertaining diversions ranging
from karate demonstrations to bouncing gyms to greeting Dolly, the Lompoc
Police Department's new patrol horse.

Around 400 people attended the event, which is the kickoff for a week of
drug-free educational events at local schools.

Most of the activities at the rally came with an anti-drug message,
including the American Cancer Society's "Smoke Scream" (Are you going to
smoke? "No") and an anti-smoking play by the "City at Peace" theatrical group.

"Hopefully they're getting the point and they're having a good time," said
Linda Van Dyke, member of the Red Ribbon Week Committee. "And they're
winning fun stuff, and that's their favorite thing."

Bicycles, skateboards, and boom boxes were raffled off every half-hour and
prizes were available at the carnival games.

Sports bottles that said "Do Sports, Not Drugs" were rewarded to winners of
the potato sack races and glittery bandanas given out by the Girl Scouts at
the "sidewalk chalk".

"You can write your name (on the sidewalk) and you can say your drug free,"
said Girl Scout Timura Berry, 10, who said she particularly enjoyed the
carnival games at the event.

Most of the carnival games were operated by PTA members from the school
district and prizes were donated by the Lompoc police and local merchants,
Van Dyke said. The Elks and Moose clubs donated the free hot dogs and drinks.

"It wouldn't be done without a lot of support," Van Dyke said, crediting the
volunteer efforts of the Lompoc Police and volunteers for the event's success.

But above all Van Dyke said the credit belongs to the parents who brought
their children to the event.

"We really need to thank the parents for participating, too," Van Dyke said.
"These are the parents that really care about their kids, the ones that are
here are the ones that are supporting their kids in being drug free."