LIBERTY HILL, Texas – The Texas National Guard Joint Counterdrug Task Force partnered with the Drug Enforcement Administration, the LifeSteps coalition and the local Girl Scouts for the Red Ribbon Patch Day to raise awareness of drug use and prevention October 5, at RockPointe Church.
The community event kicks off Red Ribbon month known around the nation since 1988 commemorating DEA Special Agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena’s death in the line of duty.
“The Austin DEA office, we were told by the administrator up in Washington D.C. to go ahead and push Red Ribbon Month,” said Austin area DEA Supervisory Special Agent Gina Giachetti. “They told us to do big events. So, I came up with the idea, because I have a troop of Girl Scouts as well, and they had earned the DEA Patch last year, so I got National Guard and LifeSteps coalition and Girl Scouts to partner with me to put on this event where they can earn the patch all in one place.”
The event brought to light the dangers that come with drug use teaching the girls at a young age to stay away from them.
“I think if you start to raise the kids, letting them know from an early age, what the drug can do or how they can work without drugs the community can benefit from that,” said Rosana Sielaff, the Director of Prevention at LifeSteps. “If you grow up knowing that something is not good for you, the more likely you are not going to be using. I think all the community can benefit from that.”
The more than 100 Girl Scouts not only earned a Red Ribbon Patch, but learned much more in the process.
“They are learning the meaning behind Red Ribbon Week because I think they participate in it each year at school, but they may not know as much detail about it,” said Alisia Lucas, the Liberty Hill Lady Bug Girl Scouts Service Unit Director. “They’re learning about how drugs affect you because we want to keep our girls healthy and making good choices and helping their community.”
There were several stations including a dunk tank, a rock climbing wall, a K-9 demonstration, an escape room, fingerprinting, a healthy or unhealthy match game and a National Guard LUH-72 Lakota helicopter fly-in.
“If they complete all ten stations, they earn the Girl Scout DEA Patch, which is a nationally recognized patch from Boy Scouts of America as well as Girl Scouts U.S.A. that they can wear all the way to the senior level of scouts,” said Timothy Davis, the Austin DEA Resident Agent in Charge.
The collaboration between the four groups created a fun and impactful day for the scouts.
“With our partners we are doing a fun event with some drug abuse prevention and education at each station,” said Davis, “And we are hoping it stays with them for the rest of their lives.”
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