100 Balloons Share Red Ribbon Week Messages

Submitted by Kia Bergman

On the morning of Oct. 23, students and staff at Sunnymead Elementary School spent time discussing the theme of this year’s Red Ribbon Week, “A Healthy Me is Drug Free." 

Each classroom then held group discussions and came up with five anti-drugs… activities such as reading a book, taking a bike ride, dreaming, dancing, playing baseball, hanging out with friends, baking cookies, and walking my dog. Each classroom then chose their favorite messages and wrote them in permanent marker on five red helium-filled balloons per classroom. 

Messages on the balloons included: 

• "My Family is my anti-drug." 
• "Soccer is my anti-drug." 
• "Ribbon dancing is my anti-drug." 

Once all classrooms had completed their discussions and decorated their balloons with anti-drugs and drug-free messages, the students and staff met on the front lawn of the elementary school and launched over 100 balloons into the air as a symbol of their commitment to making Sunnymead Elementary School drug free. 

Students and staff at all of Hillsborough Township Public Schools recognized the week of Oct. 23-31 as Red Ribbon Week. Age appropriate activities, such as Sunnymead’s balloon launch, were held at each school to signify dedication by the staff, students and their families to making their school drug free. Other events throughout the week included a canned food drive to benefit Samaritan Homeless Interim Program (SHIP), decorating the Hillsborough community in red ribbons, and collecting family member’s signatures on a paper red ribbons to decorate the school buildings.