Thoughts on Ribbon Week
 A dear friend asked me the other day, "Why do you do Ribbon Week?" I thought about the amazing assembly with Brad Barton; the BYU football players who came to support a drug-free life: Harvey Unga, Anthony Heimuli, Jray Galea'i, Jo Jo Pili, and Cody Hoffman; the high energy of the 4-H dance, music, and drama performances during lunch; and the bright faces of the students at Lakeridge with so much of life still ahead of them. I thought of the caliber of people that I'm able to work with — a big thank you to Melanie Ahyou and Juliet Sanders for their awesome help! I thought of how I love talking to business owners who are happy to contribute to our vision of strengthening the character of our students and building a healthier and more productive community. But then I realized that wasn't what my friend was getting at. For me personally, there is more to it.
When I was 16 my father was killed in a drug-related violent act. To say that I was devastated would be an understatement. I miss him so much. Drugs and violence can cause so much pain and suffering. In my life I want to be part of the solution, not part of the problem. I’d like to see more youth finding healthy productive solutions to the challenges they face. I'd like to see them take a stand for goodness and kindness to one another and make a difference in their own life, the lives of those around them and in the community as a whole.
I encourage you to take the time to discuss the importance of being drug free and nonviolent with your family. If you or your students have ideas on how to make Ribbon Week activities more fun and meaningful, we hope you will share them with us at lr.ribbonweek@gmail.com.
Judy Christensen
Ribbon Week Committee Chair
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