The UVI community is invited to join in Red Ribbon Week activities planned from Oct. 26-30, on the University’s St. Thomas and St. Croix campuses. Red Ribbon Week is the annual campaign to encourage the prevention of alcohol, tobacco and drug abuse, and the violence and health impacts that accompany the illicit drug trade. The 2009 Red Ribbon Week theme is “Run Your Own Life … Stay Drug Free!”
UVI students, faculty and staff on both islands will join with millions of people across the nation to express their support for the effort with pledges, decoration contests, protest walks and open microphone “Speak Outs.” The week’s informational efforts will focus on crime prevention, early intervention and treatment services.
St. Thomas Campus Red Ribbon Week activities will include A Walk Against Drugs and Crime at 4:30 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 28, on UVI’s St. Thomas campus. The walk will start at the stoplight at the airport road and concluding on the university’s Herman E. Moore Golf Course. A vigil and open mike “speak out” contest will follow the walk, with participants encouraged to speak out against substance abuse and violence using any artistic talent – including song, dance, poetry, short skits and musical instruments. Presentations should be five minutes or less and should reflect on one of the following themes: drugs and alcohol prevention, anti-violence or substance abuse. The first 100 participants will receive a free T-shirt, water bottle and towel.
The University of the Virgin Islands St. Croix campus will begin the celebration of Red Ribbon Week with the fourth annual Red Ribbon Candlelight March and Rally beginning at 5:45 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 26. Participants will meet at the St. Croix Educational Complex stoplight and march to the UVI Cafetorium, where there will be a demonstration by the K9 Unit of the V.I. Police Department. The evening will also include presentations and information tables featuring Customs & Border Protection, The Village, Unity Coalition, the V.I. Department of Health, the V.I. National Guard, and the Grove Place Weed & Seed program.
For more information, call Irene Sealey on St. Croix at 692-4208. To sign up for Red Ribbon Week activities on St. Thomas, call the Student Affairs Office at 693-1120/1121 or visit the center.