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ROMEOVILLE—It seems every day there are more and more temptations to distract children, which is one reason Red Ribbon Week was founded in 1985. Some Joliet diocesan schools will mark Red Ribbon Week, Oct. 21 through Oct. 27, in a variety of ways.

A red ribbon is the symbol of zero tolerance of illegal drug use and a commitment to a drug-free lifestyle, according to the Red Ribbon literature distributed through the Illinois Drug Education Alliance.

The concept of red ribbons began following the death of Enrique “Kiki” Camarena, a special agent with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. The agent was caught, tortured and murdered by drug traffickers while working undercover in Mexico. The Red Ribbon Campaign was organized to recognize the agent’s work.

“Red Ribbon Week is a way for (children to be taught) to resist temptation,” said Brian Phelan, a Drug Abuse Resistance Education police officer with the Lockport Police Department, during a phone interview with the Catholic Explorer. “It is a way to address and focus on positive decision-making and to make their lives drug-, alcohol- and tobacco-free so they can keep their minds, bodies and hearts safe.”

And that is why so many Catholic schools in the area have chosen to celebrate the week. Although Red Ribbon Week falls when some schools will be holding Illinois standardized testing, several felt the idea was important for children to learn.

“Because of the standardized testing, we are keeping it rather low-key this year,” said Cyndi Collins, principal at St. Isidore School in Bloomingdale, during a phone interview with the Explorer. “We will have the blessing of the ribbons during the school Mass on Oct. 24 and a Ronald McDonald performance—which is like a mini-workshop—will be held Thursday for the kindergarten through fourth graders. Our social worker also will be working with all the different grades throughout the week doing age-appropriate programs teaching awareness and how (the children) can avoid the stigmas that go with saying ‘No’ to drugs.”

Collins said the mini-workshop, which is sponsored by the home and school association, teaches the young children more about feeling good about themselves and promotes strong self-esteem boosters, in addition to teaching the anti-drug message. She said after the ribbons are blessed the students will be encouraged to wear the ribbons for the remainder of the week.

Two other diocesan schools will allow students to wear red clothing during the week. Students at St. Charles Borromeo School in Bensenville will wear red “spirit wear” Oct. 23, while St. Dennis students in Lockport will be allowed to wear jeans with their red spirit wear Oct. 22. That day, St. Dennis School also will be visited by DARE officer Phelan.

“Red Ribbon Week cements the idea of positive decision-making and acts as a reinforcement to the pledge (the kids take) to say ‘No’ to drugs,” according to Phelan.

Each day St. Dennis students also will receive a special gift, including a red ribbon with the words “Pledge to be Drug Free,” a sucker, a pencil and a sticker. Students at St. Charles Borromeo School will receive red bracelets and suckers and each will be asked to sign a certificate stating they will stay off drugs. Balloons will decorate the outside of the Bensenville school Oct. 22 to help draw awareness to Red Ribbon Week, while they are encouraged to bring something red in their lunches and wear red accessories Oct. 26.

“Throughout the week the eighth grade committee will be reading commitments on ‘How to stay drug free’ every morning,” said Pat Hoffmann, the physical education and health teacher at the Bensenville school. “Teachers also will be conducting additional support activities such as word search and using the (Red Ribbon) coloring books.”

Two Joliet schools are working together to mark the week. Students at St. Joseph School will walk to St. Mary Nativity School Oct. 24 to hear students from Joliet Central High School speak.

“Students at the high school, who are members of the No Name Club, have taken a pledge as freshmen to be drug free,” said Regina Block, a junior high science teacher at St. Mary Nativity School. “This club goes to different schools and puts on a skit about peer pressure and how to say ‘No’ and also touches on some of the things our students will encounter in high school.”

The theme that children learn to have the confidence to say “no” to bad influences is one most schools and adults enforce.

“Red Ribbon Week has a great history to it and it is a way to keep kids aware of all the good things in their lives,” Collins said. “It helps them enjoy and appreciate all they have and makes them realize that they don’t need to do drugs to have fun.”