Contest Submissions Accepted through November 1st

September 23, 2022 – Miami, FL –Beginning October 1st, students, families, and schools across America are invited to participate in the 12th Annual National Red Ribbon Week Photo Contest aimed at raising visibility to live drug-free by being creative. The contest, co-sponsored by the National Family Partnership (NFP) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), will be held in conjunction with National Red Ribbon Week, which takes place each year from October 23rd through 31st. The contest will award more than $20,000 to K-12 schools in cities across America.

The photo contest involves participants decorating the fronts of their homes (front door, mailbox, or fence), and/or school campuses with double-looped red ribbons while incorporating this year's Red Ribbon theme, Celebrate Life. Live Drug Free. ™ Participants enter the contest by taking a photo of their decorations (preferably with people in it!) and uploading it to the redribbon.org/contest website. You must be 18 years old to enter, so parents (or for school entries, school staff or PTA members) must submit the photos.

Twenty winners will be selected from two entry categories: Home Entry or School Entry. The top five schools and top five home submissions that receive the most votes in five designated DEA regions across the country will win $1,000 for the school of their choice and an Apple iPad for personal use. Additionally, ten winners will be selected from the following categories: Most Creative Home, Best Use of Family, Best Use of Theme, Best Virtual Photo, Most Educational, Most Creative School or Virtual School, Best Use of School or Virtual School, Best Use of Theme, Most Ambitious and Most Educational. The winners of these categories will also win $1,000 for the school of their choice and an Apple iPad for personal use.

The DEA has been a longtime co-sponsor of the National Red Ribbon Week Photo Contest, which is now in its twelfth year. Keeping communities Drug-Free is a mission both the DEA and NFP have been laser focused on shared for many years. NFP hopes this fun and interactive photo contest will bring awareness about living Drug-Free to communities across the country.

“Each year, the National Family Partnership encourages the joy of living a Drug-Free life,” said Peggy Sapp, Volunteer President of National Family Partnership and President and CEO of Informed Families. “The Community’s involvement is important to helping a person’s choose to live drug free."

The contest begins October 1st at 9 a.m. E.S.T. and ends November 1st at 9 p.m. E.S.T. The voting period begins November 2nd and ends November 16th. The 2022 Red Ribbon Photo Contest Winners will be announced December 2nd. Please visit www.redribbon.org/contest for more information.

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About the National Family Partnership

The National Family Partnership was established in 1980 and is a national leader in drug prevention, education, and advocacy. Its mission is to lead our nation’s families and communities in nurturing the full potential of healthy, drug-free youth. Red Ribbon Week is the nation’s largest and oldest drug prevention campaign. NFP created the campaign in response to the 1985 abduction and murder of DEA agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena. In addition to the Red Ribbon Campaign®, NFP sponsors the Lock Your Meds® Campaign to prevent prescription drug abuse. Learn more about Red Ribbon Week at www.redribbon.org and NFP at www.nfp.org. 

Learn how to make a winning video during SAMHSA and DEA Twitter chat

As part of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Red Ribbon Week campaign, DEA and SAMHSA’s Center for Substance Abuse Prevention are co-sponsoring the annual Campus Video PSA Contest! The contest is designed to support colleges and universities in promoting the importance of preventing alcohol and drug misuse among college students.

Interested in competing? Join SAMHSA, the DEA’s Campus Drug Prevention initiative, and the larger prevention community for a Twitter chat on Wednesday, September 21, at 2 p.m. ET. During the chat, SAMHSA will share video creation tools, resources, and inspiration to help you create the very best 30- to 60-second video PSA showcasing your campus’s commitment to a healthy, drug-free lifestyle!

This year DEA announced that they will be awarding prizes to first, second, and third place-winning entries to support campus prevention efforts.

• First place will receive $5,000 and a trip for two to NASPA’s Strategies Conference (January 18-21, 2023, in Kansas City, Missouri).
• Second place will receive $3,000.
• Third place will receive $1,000.

Follow #AskDEACampus, @SAMHSAgov, and @DEAHQ on Twitter to participate in the conversation. You can learn more about the PSA contest by visiting www.campusdrugprevention.gov/psacontest.

Did you know? Red Ribbon Week was created to honor DEA Special Agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena after he was murdered by drug traffickers in 1985. The week has now become an annual event highlighting the importance of preventing drug misuse in our nation’s schools and communities. Each year from October 23–31, organizations across the U.S. show their commitment to a healthy, drug-free lifestyle by wearing or displaying the Red Ribbon.

Last year, the Freedom Tower, FTX Arena, Miami Tower, Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science, and other landmarks in Florida illuminated their building red in support of a drug-free lifestyle. The Red Ribbon Campaign® is now the oldest and largest drug prevention program in the nation reaching millions of young people during Red Ribbon Week®, October 23 – October 31 each year. It is a simple and brilliant way for people and communities to unite and take a visible stand against drugs.

Join us in increasing awareness and support for drug-free prevention in America and our youth.

Red Ribbon Week is just around the corner, October 23^rd-31^st!

NFP is dedicated to supporting your efforts to bring visibility to our Drug Free Message through the Red Ribbon Campaign. Lots of companies sell RED RIBBON WEEK products but how many of those companies give back to the Red Ribbon Campaign and to all our communities? Only ONE NIMCO, Inc.

Through NFP’s annual Red Ribbon Theme Contest held every fall with winners announced at CADCA, we are linking with thousands of schools and children allowing them and you to tell us the RR Theme. Through NFP’s DEA Photo Contest we give away $25,000 to schools across America. It’s not about the ribbon it is about the meaning of the ribbon, we ask you to help network and spread the word in your school, home, business, military base, faith-based fellowship, club, etc. We’re only as strong as our weakest link. "Celebrate Life. Live Drug Free.™" says it all. Join us.

NIMCO, Inc. a registered authorized vendor through GSA for all government agencies and granted programs.

Click the link to view NIMCO, Inc online 2022 Red Ribbon Catalog

If you are interested in actively making a difference to keep America healthy and drug-free. Contact Elizabeth Golshteyn at egolshteyn@informedfamilies.org to become an Affiliate with National Family Partnership. By becoming an Affiliate and paying an annual membership fee, you get a 10% NIMCO discount (one-use per customer) to use the 2022 Red Ribbon Theme products to support drug-free prevention.

Thank you for all your help and support over these 40 years. I am truly grateful.

 

On August 19^th, 2022, over 275 community leaders join Miami Community Newspapers to welcome U.S. Senator Marco Rubio at Evelyn Greer Park. National Family Partnership joined the recent luncheon alongside State Senator Ileana Garcia and Miami-Dade School Board Member, District 9, Luisa Santos. Senator Garcia is committed to develop funding and accessible resources for youth prevention. Recently, Senator Garcia secured $175,000 in state funding that will directly assist its “Foster Care to Independent Living” Program.

Peggy Sapp, President, and CEO of Informed Families and Volunteer President of National Family Partnership took the opportunity to speak in front of Senator Rubio.  “We need to advocate for 50% of all the Opioid Dollars coming down to states and communities to be allotted to prevention programs in schools, families and communities, stated Ms. Sapp. The 2022 Red Ribbon Theme is “Celebrate Life. Live Drug Free”, a nationwide campaign advocating for a drug-free environment and where hundreds of schools and families submit their photo of what it means to live drug-free. NFP’s mission is helping children reach their full potential. 

Thank you to the Miami Community News for hosting the Marco Rubio Luncheon and who continue to encourage future generations in America to live a healthy and drug-free lifestyle.

Congratulations to both Abbigail Waters (left) and Joel Mesa (right), this year’s Enrique Camarena Red Ribbon Award recipients. This annual award recognizes and honors those who make significant contributions to the field of drug prevention.

Abbigail Waters is the youngest member of the Young Marines Alumni Association. Young Marines and volunteers make a commitment to make a difference personally as well as within their communities. Abbigail committed to Young Marines as a youth member in 2014. For 7 years, she not only learned the importance of teamwork, leadership, discipline, and the importance of living a healthy, drug-free lifestyle personally, but she also set the example for others to emulate. During her time in the program, Abbigail has completed over 200 hours of Drug Demand Reduction. Many of those hours were committed to making a difference in her community by spreading awareness during Red Ribbon Week, working with the Preventing Alcohol and Risk Related Trauma in Youth (P.A.R.T.Y) Program of the University of Colorado Hospital and Colorado State Patrol, leading presentations within her community, and creating new prevention projects. Beyond her prevention work, Abbigail Waters has committed nearly 1,500 community service hours to many other veteran’s service projects, Toys for Tots, Wreaths Across America, and color guards. This does not include the countless hours that she has spent developing her peers and later mentoring our youth as an alumnus.

Joel Mesa was a Youth Crime Watch Administrator/School Coordinator of Citizens’ Crime Watch of Miami-Dade County. He is certified as a Florida Crime Prevention Practitioner by the Office of the Attorney General. Joel administers the youth crime watch program of Citizens’ Crime Watch of Miami-Dade County. He has conducted over 2,000 youth crime prevention presentations on numerous safety topics to over 200,000 students during the last 23 years. He has trained principals, teachers, counselors, students, security monitors, and school resource officers on implementing youth crime watch programs in Miami-Dade County schools.

The results are in! The National Family Partnership is proud to announce the 20 winners of the 11th Annual National Red Ribbon Week^® Photo Contest. The winning photos were among hundreds of entries received and uploaded to RedRibbon.org. Ten winners received the most votes in their designated regions, and ten winners were chosen from a list of categories that included: Most Creative, Most Ambitious, Best Use of Theme, Best Use of Family and Community, Most Educational, and Best Use of School and Community. Congratulations to the winners and thank you to everyone who participated. We hope you had as much fun taking the photos as much as we did viewing them. Click here to view the winners.

“I’d like to recognize Geniel Moon, a teacher at Murrieta Valley High School in Murrieta, California. Geniel has given selfishly over the past year during this pandemic. She has delivered over 500 items to various students in our school community. These items included T-shirts and  special treat bags to celebrate kids’ accomplishments. Not only did she continue to let her students know she cared, she also continued to do things for rest of the staff, including giving welcome back gifts and lunches. Geniel never stopped fighting for our students to have some normalcy. We are lucky to have a teacher such as Geniel Moon who truly cares about our school culture and our staff. “

~Cindy Muzic

Congratulations to J. Keagan Miller, this year’s Enrique Camarena Red Ribbon Award recipient. This annual award recognizes and honors those who make significant contributions to the field of drug prevention.

A current Unit Commander for the Miami Valley Young Marines of Ohio, Keagan has worked with the program for more than fifteen years. “I was surprised and very honored to even be considered for such a prestigious award,” he said. Kaylyn Lonergan who is the Drug Demand Reduction Coordinator for the organization nominated Keagan.

Keagan has enhanced the drug prevention platform by completing nearly 500 Drug Demand Reduction education hours, which he has used to amplify the Young Marines’ vigorous DDR efforts. His unit is a member of the Montgomery County Drug Free Coalition, which regularly collaborates with the Young Marines to enhance drug prevention efforts. Additionally, he and the Young Marines work with the Families of Addicts, a local group focused on recovery.

Keagan has spearheaded the development of drug prevention education videos that are used throughout the Young Marines’ organization. He has motivated his youth members to lead virtual classes, and has developed and hosted a nationwide virtual Healthy Drug-Free Lifestyle Challenge.

The Miami Valley Young Marines was founded in 1998 as the Dayton Young Marines. The organization promotes the mental, moral, and physical development of its members and focuses on teaching the values of leadership, teamwork, and self-discipline, so its members can live and promote a healthy, Drug-Free lifestyle. Under his leadership, the Miami Valley Young Marines has been recognized twice by the Department of Defense having received the Fulcrum Shield Award for excellence in youth anti-drug programs.

When not working with Young Marines, Keagan enjoys spending time with his wife Tina and their three kids, Ian, Kira, and Owen.

“There are many ways to make yourself happy in life. Drugs shouldn't be one of them,” he said. “Surround yourself with good people and good things happen.”

The results are in! The National Family Partnership is proud to announce the 20 winners of the 10th Annual National Red Ribbon Week^® Photo Contest. The winning photos were among hundreds of entries received and uploaded to RedRibbon.org. Ten winners received the most votes in their designated regions, and ten winners were chosen from a list of categories that included: Most Creative, Best Use of Theme, Best Virtual Photo, Most Educational, Most Ambitious, Best Use of Family, Best Use of School or Virtual School, and Most Creative School or Virtual School.  Congratulations to the winners and thank you to everyone who participated. We hope you had as much fun taking the photos as much as we did viewing them. Click here to view the winners.