Red Ribbons have fluttered around tree trunks at schoolyards around Iowa for a week or more, in preparation for more than a week of events celebrating the war on drugs. Tomorrow morning, it’s likely to stop traffic in Des Moines.
A rally begins at Sec Taylor Stadium and they’ll march to Nollen Plaza. Leslie Schmalzreed is director of Prevention Concepts, a not-for-profit substance-abuse prevention agency. In cooperation with Iowa schools, they’ve been holding Red Ribbon Week for sixteen years. Schmalzreed says kids are coming from all over.
Organizers have 3000 committed to come from Des Moines schools, and expect 4000 in all. Schmalzreed says local schools have been working to raise money for ribbons and the bus trip to Des Moines, though they do have some resources through the state.
What’s called “Safe and Drug-Free School” dollars, and they can be used for school activities including this week. The Red Ribbon Week events actually get underway next week at each local school. Red Ribbon events began 18 years ago to honor a slain drug-enforcement agent from California, Kiki Camareno.