Dear McGaugh Parents and Families,
We will be celebrating Red Ribbon Week October 25th through the 29th. There will be an assembly on Friday October 22nd 8AM-11am on the McGaugh field that all students will be attending, and we welcome parents and families to join us. This assembly will be presented by the Seal Beach Police Department, along with SWAT units, mobile command, and possibly a visit from the LBPD helicopter, discussing the importance of this celebration.
For those who are not aware of what Red Ribbon Week stands for, here is a little history,
Red Ribbon Week is a very important tradition for the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) as well as our drug prevention community. It was launched in 1985 to honor U.S. DEA agent Enrique (Kiki) Camerena who spent years risking his life to stop drug related crime in the U.S and in Mexico. As the story goes, Kiki had just exposed one of Mexico's largest Marijuana dealers and seized their crops. Because of this, there was a hit put out for him and on an afternoon in February, five men were seen shoving Kiki into a beige Volkswagen in Guadalajara, Mexico. One month later, his body was discovered in a shallow grave.
Within weeks of his death, in March of 1985, Camerena's fellow DEA agent and High school friend, Henry Lozano, and his congressman, Duncan Hunter, launched Camerena clubs in Imperial Valley California, Camerena's home. Hundreds of club members pledged to lead a drug free life to honor the sacrifices made by Camerena and others on behalf of all Americans.
Today, millions of people, young and old, across the nation celebrate Red Ribbon Week, the last week in October, helping preserve the efforts of Kiki Camerena to make our communities free from drugs and crime.
For our celebration, we will be focusing on "Making Better Choices". Please use these opportunities to speak to your children about making good choices, to eat healthy, to respect others, and to work together to make their surroundings safe and healthy. We will be asking the kids to share in our celebration by dressing as their schoolmates do through the week to honor our school and community. Attached is a calendar of events to remind you and your children what to wear each day to be a part of this celebration. For those who have questions or concern, please contact Anjie Whitman, PTA Health & Wellness Chair
