PRLHS teens tell youth to stay focused, follow dreams
Mary Malone Staff Writer | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 6 years, 2 months AGO
(Photo by MARY MALONE) Priest River Lamanna High School students helped the youngsters at Idaho Hill Elementary tie their red ribbons to the fence outside the school last week to bring awareness to National Red Ribbon Week, which is an alcohol, tobacco, and other drug and violence prevention awareness campaign held annually in October.
(Photo by MARY MALONE) Priest River Lamanna High School students from left, Keegan Hegel, Erika Swoboda and Robbie Anselmo helped the youngsters at Idaho Hill Elementary tie their red ribbons to the fence outside the school last week to bring awareness to National Red Ribbon Week, which is an alcohol, tobacco, and other drug and violence prevention awareness campaign held annually in October.
(Photo by MARY MALONE) Priest River Lamanna High School students from left, Keegan Hegel and Robbie Anselmo talked with some of the Idaho Hill Elementary students last Wednesday after helping some of the younger students tie their red ribbons to the fence outside the school, in an effort to bring awareness to National Red Ribbon Week, which is an alcohol, tobacco, and other drug and violence prevention awareness campaign held annually in October.
OLDTOWN — Idaho Hill Elementary students gripped their red ribbons as they made their way out to the school’s fenceline last Wednesday.
Three Priest River Lamanna High School students greeted the kids to help them tie their ribbons to the fence in honor of National Red Ribbon Week.
National Red Ribbon Week was established in honor of Enrique “Kiki” Camarena, a special agent for the Drug Enforcement Agency who was tortured and murdered by Mexican drug traffickers in 1985.
“He was really passionate about children, he was very passionate about safe homes, he was very passionate about people not having to be in violent situations, or situations where there were drugs or alcohol,” Lynn Bridges, lead counselor for the West Bonner County School District, told the kids before they made their way outside with their ribbons.
It was three years after Camerena’s death that the National Family Partnership coordinated the first National Red Ribbon Week.
For the past four years, high school students have volunteered to accompany Bridges to Idaho Hill to talk about their passions, why they don’t use drugs, and how they get their “natural high.” While the drug prevention portion is important, Bridges said, it is even more important for the youngsters to focus on “healthy choices, healthy lives,” as well as following their passion.
PRLHS senior Robbie Anselmo told the kids he plays football and wants to attend college next year.
“My natural high is playing sports, and I don’t use substances so I can stay focused and be successful,” Anselmo said.
Freshman Erika Swoboda, who attended Idaho Hill for a time when she was younger, is also an athlete, running cross country for the Spartans. She is also the freshman class vice president.
“I guess my natural high would be having high grades, keeping up with school,” Swoboda said. “Not using substances like drugs and alcohol keeps you focused.”
Swoboda said she plans to stay on track as she wants to join the U.S. Navy after graduation.
Senior Keegan Hegel is involved in several sports at PRLHS, including football, basketball and track. The youngsters in the room were concerned about Hegel, who had his arm in a sling after breaking his collarbone during the final football game of the year. He would be OK, he told them, and hoped he would heal in time to play basketball.
“I’m passionate about sports,” Hegel said. “My natural high is playing sports and doing good in school. I don’t use any substances because they are just bad for you and nothing good comes out of them.”
Mary Malone can be reached by email at mmalone@bonnercountydailybee.com and follow her on Twitter @MaryDailyBee.
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