To celebrate Red Ribbon Week, a community awareness festival was held at the Reese J. Booker Youth Center on Saturday, October 28.

Approximately 300 adults and young people joined together for an enjoyable day of fun, food, and educational presentations in a friendly atmosphere. The festivities delighted young and old.

Activities began at noon with Dot Jordan, Youth Development Coordinator for Wilkes County Community Partnership, greeting the attendees and a briefing on the many components of the Partnership. She challenged parents as first teachers to teach and encourage children to excel and stay in school. She emphasized that children are looking to them to shape their lives, not only physically and emotionally but in the areas of character and sexuality.

Parents were given information on the abstinence curriculum, Choosing the Best, which is taught at the middle school, high school, and the RISE after school center. They were also briefed on the goal of the wellness program. Children were given several flyers on abstinence, wellness, ATOD, the ORBIT Leadership program and the JUMPSTART program.

A large number of participants enjoyed all the activities at an awareness festival for Red Ribbon Week at the Reese J. Booker Youth Center. Assistant Chief of Police Theodosia Glenn spoke to the young people about "drugs are a dead end." She also drew their attention to types of drugs and their consequences.

The program was sponsored by the Wilkes County Community Part- nership Abstinence Education Program with many community supporters. Many of the sponsors had booths and distributed valuable information and provided an array of healthy snacks, family personal products, and home care products.

The festival was a huge success, according to Jordan, and was enjoyed by all in attendance.

The winners of the scavenger hunt were Gladys Day and family, first place; Scotty Wilkerson and family, second place; and the Thomas family, third place.

Red Ribbon poster contest winners were Breanna Martin, first; Katrice Norman, second; and Jemi Davis, third.