20 Ways to Promote Red Ribbon Week in Your Communities and Schools

There are lots of ways to celebrate Red Ribbon Week and every part of your community can get involved. Here are some ideas.
 
Communities Can:

1. Contact your elected officials about issuing a proclamation declaring Red Ribbon Week in your community.
2. Invite elected and government officials to participate in Red Ribbon Week activities.
3. Display a basket of red ribbons in the reception area of your organization for visitors to take, along with copies of the Red Ribbon Week fact sheet.
4. Display red ribbons on the interior and exterior surfaces of your organization’s building.
5. Sponsor a special alcohol and drug abuse prevention and seminar for the community. Invite a speaker who is an expert on drug and alcohol prevention to your organization and invite the community to attend.
6. Submit a public service announcement (PSA) about Red Ribbon Week activities to your local radio station. 
7. Sponsor an in-service educational program for your employees and community leaders.
8. Organize a drug prevention awareness fair. Invite local nonprofit organizations to participate by staffing exhibit booths, disseminating educational materials, offering free health screenings, and much more.
9. Set up and staff an exhibit table at a local hospital, doctor’s office, community center, or shopping center to promote Red Ribbon Week and to distribute drug prevention information and materials. 
10. Post fact sheets and Red Ribbon Week event notices and other materials on bulletin boards in libraries, hospitals, local churches, synagogues, gymnasiums, grocery stores, parks and recreation departments, health clinics, universities, and other public places.

Schools Can:

1. Wear red ribbons and distribute them to your friends, family, volunteers, staff, and employees.
2. Sponsor a Red Ribbon Week activity (e.g., fun run, bike-a-thon, bookmark, poster, essay contest, classroom door decorating contest, etc.).
3. Incorporate drug prevention facts and tips in your school-wide announcements throughout Red Ribbon Week. Create a bulletin board display about Red Ribbon Week and post it in a high traffic area of your school.
4. Have a Red Ribbon Rally with performances by local talent or school groups. 
5. Have a school assembly (everyone can wear red) and invite a law enforcement officer to speak about the dangers of drug abuse. 
6. Do a drug prevention and refusal skills skit for your classmates. 
7. Promote Red Ribbon at your school's sporting events by handing out red ribbons, providing information about Red Ribbon Week, and have the parents and students say a drug free pledge. 
8. Sponsor an in-service training on drug prevention education for school administrators, teachers, counselors and the school nurse. 
9. Start a Red Ribbon Club that meets regularly to promote drug prevention throughout the year. 
10. Sponsor a health fair and invite health and safety workers from the community to set up educational materials for students and parents.