Red Ribbon Week underway

Photo by Paul Robeson

RED RIBBONS: Red Ribbon Week gets involved with local merchants. Left to right, APD volunteer Dick Richards, Bank of America Anderson Banking Center Manager Ben Swim, Police Chief Dale Webb and Police Captain Robert Kirvin.

Photo by Paul Robeson

RIBBONS TO SCHOOLS: Left to right, Dick Richards, Carrie Hernandez, Math-Spanish teacher at Anderson New Technology High School, Chief Webb and Captain Kirvin.

Red Ribbon Week, a national anti-drug event, which runs Oct. 23-31, is part of the Anderson Police Department’s (APD) ongoing campaign using positive approaches to local drug problems.

“I found someone here in Anderson to head up the Red Ribbon Week program,” said Anderson Police Chief Dale Webb.

The good thing was that the person was right in Webb’s own police headquarters in the form of an APD volunteer — Dick Richards.

When asked by Chief Webb to head up Red Ribbon Week for the APD, Richards jumped at the chance. Chief Webb had set a goal this year for the APD to furnish the ribbons for Red Ribbon Week.

Webb challenged the APD volunteers, and the Citizens on Patrol, to work with the Anderson Exchange Club, the Shasta County Chemical People and Elks Lodge 1073 to reach a goal of 6,000 red ribbons.

Webb said the goal was surpassed with the purchase of 500 red ribbons by Ben Swim, Bank of America Anderson Banking Center assistant vice president, bringing the total to 6,500 ribbons.

Red Ribbon Week is held each year during the last week of October to remind everyone of the need to work together to make children aware of the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse.