MOSLEY PROMOTES DRUG-FREE LIFESTYLE

Tommy Mosley learned firsthand the damage drug use causes.

"I remember coming home high as a kite, and my father would have to put me
in bed," the 35-year-old said. "I remember the disappointment I would see
in his eyes. I remember the hurt I put my mother through."

Now clean and sober for more than 15 years, Mosley shares his story with
others with hopes that learning from his mistakes can help keep others from
going down the same path. For the past two years, Mosley - a native of Wade
- - has made a full-time job of inspirational speaking. This line of work has
taken him to places as far away as Asheville, N.C., but to Mosley, the
travel isn't the important part of the job. "I felt that I was called by
the Lord to do this work. I just go where I'm needed," he said.

"I've mostly done my speaking in churches," Mosley continued. "I've never
been asked to do a school before. Here at Noxapater was my first time for
that."

Mosley, who is also a gospel singer with a recently-signed two-record deal
with Compass Records, shares his life story with his audience and performs
songs that have special meaning to him in relation to points in his life.

He began experimenting with drugs and alcohol at age 12, he said, and
continued even after a trampoline accident left him a paraplegic, unable to
move from the chest down.

"I landed head-first on the trampoline, and broke my neck," he said. "I
can't remember if it hurt or not. All I remember is a loud pop and a
ringing in my ears. It felt like all my feeling and all my energy just
drained out through my toes."

Despite his injuries, Mosley continued his drug use.

"I was still smoking pot, even when I was at 35 percent of my lung
capacity," he said.

At age 19, Mosley quit smoking marijuana and cleaned up his act. Then, at
age 21, he was saved.

"Now, I want to give kids something to inspire their spiritual walk," he
said. "I hope I can keep them from making the same mistakes I did. I just
want to let them know it's important to always strive to do their best, and
try to stay out of trouble."

Mosley came to Noxapater as part of the school's Red Ribbon Week
activities. Noxapater teacher Janette French organized Mosley's visit.

"Red Ribbon Week is a nationwide celebration of the life of Enrique
Camarena, a special agent for the Drug Enforcement Administration who was
kidnapped and murdered by drug traffickers in Mexico," said Jenny Vowell,
the librarian at Noxapater and sponsor of Tiger Stripes, the school's
service organization. "It's a celebration of drug-free activities and
living a drug-free life."

Vowell said the program by Mosley was one of several activities students in
kindergarten-12th grade participated in during Red Ribbon Week.

"We had two highway patrolmen come in and speak earlier this week," she
said. "We had activities every day that promote drug awareness and the
importance of living a drug-free life."

"If there's one thing these kids take with them after Red Ribbon Week and
hearing Tommy's story, I hope it's that it is easier never to start using
drugs and alcohol than it is to stop," said Noxapater Principal James
Brooks. "It's so much harder to stop all these things once you've started,
but if you never take the first one, you don't have to stop."

In addition to assisting with Red Ribbon Week activities, Tiger Stripes has
signed on to help the Department of Human Services collect supplies with a
"baby drive." Through November, Tiger Stripes will collect baby supplies -
bottles, diapers, sippy cups and so on - to donate to the department.

"A lot of times, when DHS takes in a baby, they don't have the necessary
supplies," Vowell said. "We're trying to help DHS collect the things they
need. If you want to donate something, you can bring it by the school, drop
it off at DHS or call us to come pick up the items."

For more information about the baby drive, contact Vowell at XXX-XXXX.