Students vow to remain drug free

-Amanda Friar, Sturgis Community.com

"Say no to drugs, say yes to tacos," "Don't smoke, it's a joke," and "It's up to me to stay drug free," were only some of the catchphrases that school students came up with for their drug free posters.

Students paraded down Main Street to the Sturgis Community Center on Friday, Oct. 21 as the kickoff to Red Ribbon Week. Awards were then given to the winners of the poster contest, hosted by Action for the Betterment of the Community (ABC), who got over 1,000 poster entries from throughout the Meade School District 46-1.

"It's important to live by the message you put on there," Sturgis Mayor Mark Carstensen told the students at the awards ceremony.

Red Ribbon Week was started unofficially 1985 when a federal drug agent was killed in Mexico and family and friends started hanging red ribbons in order to remember him and raise awareness of staying drug free. The government made it official in 1988 that the last week in October should be Red Ribbon Week and it became a national movement to help the community to commit to staying drug free.

"The importance of staying drug free, we just can't say it enough," ABC project coordinator Randy Bender said. "Everyone needs to learn about the dangers of drugs and alcohol and if they start learning it when they're young it will stick with them when they're older. It makes it a big part of their life."

Karrie Daniels from Whitewood Elementary School won the honorable mention award and received Taco Johns Gift Certificates for her "Say no to drugs, say yes to tacos" poster. Her poster will also be framed and hung in Taco Johns.

Kyla Alan from Whitewood Elementary School and Sabrina Day from Sturgis Williams Middle School won third place and received $10 Visa cash cards. Skyler Phillips from Piedmont Valley Elementary School and Hannah Sedlak from Sturgis Williams Middle School won second place and received $25 Visa cash cards.

Troy Rounds from Atall School won first place and not only did he win a $50 Visa cash card, but will also have his poster displayed on a billboard at the entrance to Boulder Canyon. The billboard will go up in mid November. Rounds said he was surprised that he won first place for his drawing.

"I thought I wouldn't win," Rounds said. "I'm happy."

The Sturgis community is encouraged to celebrate Red Ribbon week by placing red ribbons on trees and businesses throughout the community and wearing red on Wednesday. Supplies to paint the town with red ribbons can be picked up at Northern Hills Alcohol and Drug.