Red Ribbon Week Contest Offers $1,000, Free iPad

Verona and Cedar Grove students will have the opportunity to earn $1,000 for their school and also win an iPad during the National Family Partnership's (NFP) 27th Annual Red Ribbon Week running Oct. 23 through Oct. 31.

To win the prizes, students must work with their families to decorate their homes with this year's message, “The Best Me Is Drug Free.” Families can decorate their front door, their house, mailbox, fences, yards and anything else they like with this year's theme.

Parents, or participants 18 and older can take a picture of the family, with the decorations and upload them to the Red Ribbon Contest website or the organization's Facebook page. Photos must be submitted by Nov. 2.

The participants can then ask friends and family to vote for their entry on the website between Nov. 2 and Nov 16. Ten winners will be selected across the country to be announced during the month of December.

“By decorating their homes together with this year’s Red Ribbon theme, families carry the message to their communities,” said NFP’s Volunteer President Peggy Sapp.

The NFP and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) are working together to encourage families to discuss drug prevention.

“Red Ribbon Week is also when we honor DEA Special Agent Enrique ‘Kiki’ Camarena, who made the ultimate sacrifice to keep our communities safe,” said DEA Administrator Michele M. Leonhart.

According to the National Family Partnership, Red Ribbon Week started in 1985 after the murder of a DEA agent. Parents, youth and teachers in communities across the country began wearing Red Ribbons as a symbol of their commitment to raise awareness of the destruction caused by drugs.

“Studies show that substance abuse risks lessen when parents talk to their children about the dangers of drugs,” the organization said in a written statement. “That is the goal of this year's contest: to encourage families to talk about prevention.”

Click here to submit photos for Red Ribbon Week and to vote on your favorite submissions.

Thinking about entering the contest? Upload your submissions to Verona-Cedar Grove Patch and we will feature them on our homepage!