Red Ribbon Week is a week surrounding the ongoing task of informing students about making smart and healthy choices. It is a nationwide event found mainly in high schools that encourages students to take action against drugs, alcohol, and any substance. It is a week filled with education on various ways to avoid these substances and how to help those suffering from substance abuse. Red Ribbon Week has helped many students throughout the nation in leading a healthier, happier life, drug free.

Nazareth held its Red Ribbon Week from October 26th to the 30th. The event is organized by co-leaders,  Ms. Jennifer Sheehan and Mrs. Cathy Kokontis, and a student committee. This year, many fun and interesting events were planned. Some of these events included a beach theme during lunch, signing a drug-free pledge, and sharing ideas and suggestions on how to deal with stress instead of turning to alcohol or drugs.

On Wednesday, a day dedicated to wellness, the committee asked teachers to help students relieve stress by having deep breathing exercises before class, guided meditations, journal time, and if possible, a no homework day. All of this was intended to target the goal of relieving stress in teenage students at Nazareth in ways other than alcohol or drugs.

The students that are a part of the Red Ribbon committee put in much time this year. Many attended up to fifteen planning meetings, all  in the hopes of making Nazareth a healthier and safer place to attend school.

Red Ribbon Week is made possible by students who belong to the Youth Initiative Club at Naz. Conducting many other activities such as Freshman Orientation, Snowball, and school focus groups, Youth Initiative members work hard at the goal of making Naz one of the best places to attend school.

The work of these students does not end at the end of Red Ribbon Week. For the rest of the year Red Ribbon Week morals are carried not only by the committee members but by many Naz students as well.

According to the leaders, all of the work is worth it. As Mrs. Kokontis said, Red Ribbon Week is “an important way to keep talking to students about making good choices.”
And it does just that, creating positive effects on Nazareth students that can be seen right away or even later in their lives.