Happy Red Ribbon Week, Iroquois County! Join the millions of people celebrating the nation’s oldest and largest drug prevention awareness campaign.
Why was Red Ribbon Week started? Enrique “Kiki” Camarena was a Drug Enforcement Administration Agent who was tortured and killed in Mexico in 1985. In honor of Camarena’s memory and his battle against illegal drugs, friends and neighbors began to wear red badges of satin. Parents, sick of the destruction of alcohol and other drugs, had begun forming coalitions. Some of these new coalitions embraced Camarena’s belief that one person can make a difference. These coalitions also adopted the symbol of Camarena’s memory, the red ribbon. In 1988, the National Family Partnership sponsored the first Nation Red Ribbon Celebration. Today, the Red Ribbon serves as a catalyst to mobilize communities to educate youth and encourage participation in drug prevention activities. Source: Red Ribbon Campaign