JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska — Trailside Elementary School in Anchorage welcomed Red Ribbon Week this year with a kick-off event on Monday, provided by several agencies who focus on promoting a healthy, drug-free and safe community.
Red Ribbon Week is led by the Drug Enforcement Administration, in partnership with local, state and federal agencies. The National Guard Counterdrug Support Program, Anchorage Police Department, Alaska State Troopers and substance misuse prevention specialists were in attendance.
They greeted students when they arrived at school and hosted a student assembly to celebrate healthy choices. They shared a message about fueling bodies in healthy ways and avoiding harmful substances.
“We need to be really mindful of what we’re putting into our bodies,” said Capt. Kimberly Conkling, AKNG CDSP coordinator, to the group of students who filled the school’s multi-purpose room.
Conkling spoke to the children about eating healthy, getting enough sleep and making smart choices.
“By celebrating a drug free lifestyle with the youngest kids, we may be encouraging a drug free childhood, which often leads to a more healthy adulthood,” said Conkling.
The program was followed by a visit to the playground to view military and law enforcement static display vehicles from the various agencies involved.
The DEA annual Red Ribbon Campaign is the nation’s largest drug prevention effort that has touched the lives of millions of people around the world for over 30 years.