Ohio Elks Ask Lodges To Celebrate Red Ribbon Week

Celebrate Red Ribbon Week October 23rd – 31st.

In 1985, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration Officer Enrique Camarena was close to exposing a major drug trafficking operation out of Guadalajara when he was kidnapped, tortured and killed. He was 37 years of old.

Shortly after Officer Camarena’s death, California U.S. Congressmen Hunter and California schools launched the first “Just Say No’ pledge for school kids and came up with the Red Ribbon as a way to honor Officer Camarena’s sacrifice.

In 1988, as interest sparked, The National Federation of Parents for Drug-Free Youth championed the first Red Ribbon Week campaign with the Honorary Chairman President Ronald Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan. That same year, congress officially established Red Ribbon Week as the last week in October. The Elks have been supporters of the Red Ribbon Campaign from the beginning.

What can lodges do?

The theme for Red Ribbon Week this year is, Celebrate Life. Live Drug Free.

Get your area youth groups interested in the Red Ribbon Campaign. The DEA has a toolkit and rally with a photo contest and badges for boy and girl scouts. Your lodge can order Red Ribbon information cards to pass out along with red ribbons at all your events in October. (There is a charge for the red ribbons. Contact me if interested.)

Red Ribbon Week is October 23rd – 31st.

You can find out more about Red Ribbon Week at

·         elks.org/dap

·         redribbon.org

·         dea.gov/redribbon