SCAD HOLDS RED RIBBON WEEK

Scott Countians Against Drugs say their job will never be done.

But they intend to keep on trying and this week SCAD, the community and the
Scott County schools will join forces to observe Red Ribbon Week. "The sad
part about SCAD," Johnny Griffin, SCAD chairman, said, "is that we'll be
around for 25 more years fighting the same battle."

SCAD will pass out red ribbons, stickers and pledge cards in the 15 public
and private schools participating in Red Ribbon Week. The schools are also
participating in grocery bag decorations.

"Kroger has donated grocery bags, and the students are decorating them with
anti-drug messages," Janie Wechman, executive director of SCAD, said. "We
then take them back to Kroger, and they distribute them to their customers."

SCAD also holds an anti-drug bookmark contest.

"It's for grades kindergarten through eight," Wechman said. "There are
three different categories, and a winner and runner-up will be selected in
each category. There will be three bookmarks printed with a different
design on each side so all winners and runners-up will be represented."

The printed bookmarks will be laminated and will be available to the
community, she said.

"There will be 7,500 bookmarks printed, and we usually get them in
November," Wechman said. "We will distribute them to each school, the
public library, the courthouse and businesses around town."

Each of the 15 schools has some sort of special observance planned during
the week. They include guest speakers such as Kentucky State Trooper Ronald
Turley and representatives from the Bluegrass Prevention Center, an
assembly with Milton Gala_nos of the Drug Enforcement Administration, door
decorating contests and theme days.

Local businesses are participating as well, Wechman said.

"Wal-Mart is donating 8,000 of their smiley-face stickers the students can
use to keep their red ribbons on," she said. "That's a lot."

SCAD was founded in 1983 and has observed Red Ribbon Week since 1985,
Griffin said, in an effort to communicate with the community on the dangers
of drug use and abuse.

"The most important message is that one person can make a difference,"
Griffin said. "The big thing for us every year is to find a way to get the
word out to every student."

Population projections have Scott County growing from 41,000 people to
65,000 in the next decade, Griffin said.

"As the population keeps growing, the problem will get worse," he predicted.

That's why he feels SCAD will be a community presence for years to come.

"This (drug abuse) is just a cancer that will never go away," Griffin said.

"But somebody's got to stand up and try to fill the gap, and that's where
SCAD comes in."