The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) created a Red Ribbon Week patch to encourage and support Girl Scouts who wish to learn about Red Ribbon and participate in local efforts to educate youth about the dangers of drug abuse.
Miami Lakes Girl Scout Troop 263 earned their DEA Red Ribbon Week patch with a two-part effort including sponsoring an anti-drug prevention education session where a Miami-Dade D.A.R.E. police officer presented a hands-on seminar at Miami Lakes Baptist Church.
In the other part of their project, the girls, including Gabby Perez-Veliz, Syan Rivera, Roselyn Castillo and Katherine Duarte, sponsored a “Decorate the Door with a Drug-Free Theme” contest for grades 2 to 5 at Bob Graham Education Center (BGEC).
The girls awarded prizes for the best three decorated doors. First prize winner was Maria Londano’s class which received a frozen yogurt party from Menchie’s. Kimberly Ottaviani’s class came in a close second and a had a pizza party donated by Pappa John’s Pizza.
Maria Easterling and Jennifer Batchelder’s classroom earned third place and they received a popcorn party donated by Troop 263. For BGEC’s 6th to 8th grades, the troop set up a pledge collection box at the middle school and challenged the students to make a choice to be “Drug Free” and sign a “Drug Free Pledge.”
As the students turned in their pledges, they received candy, courtesy of Costco. At the end, 556 pledges were collected. A raffle was held and Kassandra Rodriguez was the winner of two Cobb Theaters movie tickets.
Troop 263 members expressed their appreciate to the administration at Bob Graham for allowing them to carry out the project, and for their sponsors including Menchie’s, Pappa John’s Pizza, Costco and Cobb Theaters.