DEA celebrates 20th Anniversary of Red Ribbon Week
Empire State Building illuminated as part of the nationwide festivities

Administrator Karen P. Tandy leads local school children in reciting the Drug Free Pledge.

OCT 26 -- (Washington, D.C.) Drug Enforcement Administration Administrator Karen P. Tandy hosted 200 DC-area schoolchildren, today, at the DEA Headquarters Red Ribbon Week Event.

Local schools represented at the rally were Ferebee-Hope Elementary School (Washington D.C.), Meade Middle School (Fort Meade, MD), Daniels Run Elementary School (Fairfax, VA), and Centerville Elementary School (Centerville, VA).

Nationally, approximately 80 million people participate in Red Ribbon events from October 23-31. The National Red Ribbon Campaign, which is the nation’s largest drug prevention effort, began after drug traffickers in Mexico tortured and brutally murdered Special Agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena in March 1985.

Administrator Karen P. Tandy (center) and Deputy Administrator Michele M. Leonhart (left) pose for a photo with 2005 Red Ribbon essay and poster contest winners.

“ When we see children proudly pledge never to use drugs-we see them embrace Kiki’s spirit and his belief that one person can make a powerful difference in our battle against drugs,” Tandy told the audience.

DEA’s 20th Anniversary Headquarters event was emceed by local Channel 8 sports personality Glenn Harris and featured performances by the Jumping Buddies Jumping Team ( an anti-drug jump rope performance team with 800 members from Virginia schools), and the “DARE” Dancers (drawn from Drug Abuse Resistance Education students).

In addition, two children from Lake St. George Elementary School (Palm Harbor, FL) presented Administrator Tandy with thousands of signed red ribbons. Since Special Agent Camerena’s murder, American kids have taken up the banner Kiki inspired—the Red Ribbons they proudly wear every October. Because of Kiki, millions of children in big cities and small towns have taken a stand against drugs: pledging that “drugs are not—and never will be—part of their lives.”

On Tuesday, the Empire State Building (see photo) was illuminated in red to mark the 20th anniversary of Red Ribbon Week.