PLAINS – Plains Elementary School concluded their Red Ribbon Week with a visit from the Elks anti-drug trailer Friday on the playground at Plains School.

Students were given the opportunity to participate in a basketball toss, coloring, ate candy and a hot dog provided by the Elks of Thompson Falls. This marked the second year the organization had been involved with Red Ribbon Week in Plains. They have been involved with the anti-drug movement for over 20 years. The Elks contacted Principal Jim Holland for an event for Red Ribbon Week. Holland passed the message on to Red Ribbon Week coordinator and Steps to Respect coordinator Molly Tingley.

“The Elks actually contacted Mr. Holland to see how they could get involved,” Tingley said. “It has become by far the student’s favorite event. They love the hot dogs and candy.”

Red Ribbon Week has been an annual event in the United States since 1988 with the help of Nancy Reagan and the National Family Partnership. The origins of the week-long celebration to be drug free are the results of a tragedy. In 1985 DEA agent Enrique Camarena was kidnapped and murdered as a result of his undercover work in Mexico. The event sparked nation wide media coverage and after his body was found citizens in Camarena’s hometown donned red ribbons in his honor.

The yearly October celebration has served as an education tool for students to learn the effects of drugs and drug abuse.

“We really try to emphasize making good healthy choices,” Tingley said. “It’s not just the no drugs, no alcohol but it’s things like eat healthy, get lots of rest and drink lots of water. The things that help make it easier to make good choices.”

The task of teaching younger students about the effects of drugs can be a hard one. Tingley said it is hard to talk to a first grader about using methamphetamine or crack cocaine but it is easier to help them understand how to make good choices.

“We taught our fourth graders about peer pressure and choosing the right friends,” Tingley said. “We want to teach children to not pick friends who will steer you down the wrong path of achieving your goals.”

Tingley also knows students need to plan their futures. Though it may seem far away to third graders at the time, high school graduation is right around the corner.

“We talked to our third graders about what it would be like to graduate high school,” Tingley said. “We asked them what steps they needed to take to make good choices and to visualize the experience.”

Some of the third grade students had experienced college graduation in their families according to Tingley. She said students understand the importance of going to college and getting a job but the high school experience is not too far off for the third graders.

“We ask students what do you want to be when you grow up and how can you achieve the goal,” Tingley said. “They know how important college is but sometimes forget high school is as important. It was a starting point to visualize their lives.”

However, Red Ribbon Week was not full tough questions about lifelong goals. Students participated in activities such as a poster contest, signing a banner to make healthy choices, a visit from the sheriff deputies and topped off with the Elks on Friday.

Red Ribbon Week is only the beginning for anti-drugs in school. Tingley hoped all teachers emphasized students making good decisions throughout the year. Encouraging healthy, life-long choices will increase students chances of graduating high school, going to college, and make a career.

“It’s the beginning of the planting the seed of life,” Tingley said.