Montebello middle school takes stand against drugs
MONTEBELLO - Students at a local middle school wrote essays, created artwork, listened to speakers and launched hundreds of balloons into the sky this week to show their commitment to remaining drug-free.
Eastmont Intermediate School teamed up with a host of community organizations and officials Thursday to hold a full week of activities for the student body of more than 1,500 sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders in observance of "Red Ribbon Week," a national, weeklong campaign to discourage drug and alcohol abuse.
School counselor and chairman of Eastmont's Red Ribbon Week festivities, Julian De La Torre, said the campus is doing all it can to educate pupils about the dangers and consequences of drug and alcohol abuse.
"Working together, we can make a major dent in fighting this plague that's upon us," he said.
City officials, the California Highway Patrol, the Man-e Moreno Foundation, the YMCA, Cal State Los Angeles and other organizations participated in the events of Red Ribbon Week at Eastmont, which was organized by the school and the East Los Angeles Prevention Project.
The East Los Angeles Prevention Project is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing drug and alcohol abuse among youths, prevention specialist Ramiro Sandoval said. A county-funded agency, it regularly works with schools and the community to promote a drug-free lifestyle and help young people who have gotten into trouble with drugs or alcohol.
Man-e Moreno Foundation president Robert Moreno and CHP Officer Luis Mendoza talked to the students about making good choices during assemblies.
The Man-e Moreno Foundation also brought its "Mobile Teen Center" and singer Jacob G. to entertain the kids.
Other aspects of Eastmont's Red Ribbon Week included a job fair, an essay contest, a poster contest, other art projects and other activities.
A family carnival is planned for Friday, and will include a carnival and haunted house, as well as workshops for parents on how to keep communication open with their children, how to spot the signs of drug abuse and what to do about it, Sandoval said.
On Thursday, Montebello Mayor Bill Molinari and Councilman Frank Gomez led the countdown as hundreds of eighth-graders released red and white balloons into the sky to symbolize freedom from drugs.
Molinari presented the school with a proclamation commending them for their efforts in combatting drugs and designating Oct. 25-31 as Red Ribbon Week in Montebello.
"It's a different world than when we grew up," the mayor said. "We didn't have to deal with the pressures these kids have today. That's why you try to instill in these young people the dangers of getting involved in drugs and hope it sinks in."
Gomez agreed.
"Anything having to do with keeping our kids drug-free, alcohol free, is critical. We need to put this idea in their heads over and over."
Red Ribbon Week was started in honor of Drug Enforcement Administration Agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena, who was killed while conducting an undercover investigation against a drug cartel in Mexico in 1985.
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