RED RIBBON WEEK AT DALLAS COUNTY SCHOOL

Throughout this week students in both Dallas County and Selma City
School Systems have been promoting the importance of saying no to
drugs as part of the annual Red Ribbon Week.

Each school is celebrating the event with a wide range of activities,
including essay and poster contests and wearing a red ribbon on their
shirts during the week.

On Monday, students at William R. Martin Middle School got the event
started with an early morning march around the school while waving
hand-made banners and shouting cheers.

Ovetta Jones, organizer of Martin Middle School's Red Ribbon Week
events, said each day focused on a different theme.

Students and teachers on Tuesday wore unique or funny socks for "Sock
it to Drugs Day." Red caps were allowed to be worn at school Wednesday
for "Cap off Drugs Day" and today everyone could bring their favorite
stuffed animal for "Hugs Not Drugs Day."

"This week about being drug free," Jones said. "We are informing
students that it's the way to be."

Martin Middle students who wear red ribbons on their shirts this week
will also get a piece of candy at the end of each school day.

In the Selma City School System, elementary students received a visit
last week from Reddy Ribbon, the mascot for Red Ribbon Week.

According to Mattie Gasaway, counselor at Clark Elementary, said the
larger-than-life Reddy Ribbon came to the schools to talk about the
history of Red Ribbon Week and the ways it is celebrated each year.

Along with the visit from the mascot, Gasaway said she is also doing a
special project with the students called the "Road to Reaching My Goal."

In the floor of a classroom at Clark, Gasaway has created a divided
highway, with one road leading towards college and jobs and the other
towards booze, drugs and death.

"We talk about making the right choices and following down the best
path," Gasaway said. "I've also been teaching the kids about who's
supposed to give them drugs and not to get in a car when someone has
been drinking."

Gasaway added that a representative from the Cahaba Drug Abuse and
Alcoholism Center visits Clark each month to talk with students about
how they are "too good to do drugs."

At Selma High School today, students will be revealing the names of
the winners of the Drug Free essay and poster contest.

Each school's final Red Ribbon Week activities will be wrapping up on
Friday.