BIDDEFORD, SACO, OOB, Maine – April 4, 2017 – Every $1 spent on the prevention of drug misuse saves $7 in treatment. To steer our community toward healthy behaviors, the Biddeford Saco Rotary Club’s Red Ribbon Committee is focusing its efforts on preventing young people from slipping into the devastating grip of drug misuse and addiction. Working in conjunction with school educators from Biddeford, Old Orchard Beach, Saco and Thornton Academy the Rotary’s Red Ribbon Committee is hosting multiple events during their second annual Red Ribbon Awareness Week, April 24-28, with a community-wide presentation on April 27 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Thornton Academy’s Garland Auditorium. All members of the community are welcome. The event is free and will be livestreamed at www.livestream.com/tatvsac.

 

“Our goal is to serve as a catalyst to mobilize communities, educate youth and encourage participation in drug prevention activities” stated Red Ribbon Committee Co-Chair and Rotarian Jim Godbout.  “We all recognize drug misuse is at epidemic proportions in our country. It costs our country billions of dollars each year through tax dollars, so we are all affected directly or indirectly. I applaud the schools for working collaboratively together and with our Rotary Club, and I invite everyone to join us in a culture of change from acceptance of drug misuse in its many forms to all community members living lives of health, wellbeing, and joy.”

 

The tri-community presentation on April 27 encourages individuals and families to reflect upon current trends in drug use and what the community can do to promote healthy behaviors without the influences of illegal drugs or other misused substances. A series of speakers will address the trends in drug use and local effects, including: Bronwyn Barnett and the students in the Toastmasters Club from the Community Bicycle Center will speak about making healthy choices; Bill Paterson of Coastal Healthy Communities Coalition’s Project Alliance will speak on “”Marijuana and the Adolescent Brain”; Ryan Esbjerg of Flex Your Face University will speak on their unending goal to ignite people's lives through the celebration of small moments in their day; and the top three student t-shirt design winners will be presented with their cash prize awards.

 

In addition to the community-wide presentation, each high school has also planned activities for their students throughout the week of April 24 including all students receiving a free Red Ribbon t-shirt thanks to the following sponsors: Biddeford Savings, Saco & Biddeford Savings Institution, P&C Insurance, Maine Magazine, and Coastal Healthy Communities Coalition’s Project Alliance through the University of New England. The Rotary Club held a t-shirt design contest and An Ho ’18 from Thornton Academy will have her design placed on the front of all the shirts. 

 

 

 

 

On April 12, the first place winners from each participating school were invited to read their essay before an assembly of Rotarians, parents, school principals and teachers.   Each was awarded a Certificate of Achievement along with a $100 prize.  The first place winners were: Emily Boilard, Biddeford Middle School; Claire Loeser, Thornton Academy Middle School, Saco; Dayja Nguyen, Saco Middle School; Penelope Thao, Loranger Middle School, Old Orchard Beach; and Alannah Shevenell, St. James School, Biddeford.

 

Congratulations to the other prize winners who received $50 or $25 prizes as well: Katlyn Bickford and Aliyah Bureau - Biddeford Middle School; Julia Pisani and Hayley Litvinchyk

- Thornton Academy Middle School, Saco; Amy Blanchard and Paige Beaudoin - Saco Middle School; Alison Prejean and Ethan Hutchinson - Loranger Middle School, Old Orchard Beach; and Brian Perrault and Julia Violette - St. James School, Biddeford.

 

The Biddeford-Saco Rotary Club is pleased to be part of community involvement.  If you would like more information on how to become involved with Rotary, please visit their website at www.biddeford-sacorotary.org.

 

 

 

 

PHOTO CAPTION: The Biddeford-Saco Rotary Club recently awarded winners for their twenty-second annual essay contest (l-r): Dayja Nguyen, Saco Middle School; Claire Loeser, Thornton Academy Middle School, Saco; Alannah Shevenell, St. James School, Biddeford; Penelope Thao, Loranger Middle School, Old Orchard Beach; and Emily Boilard, Biddeford Middle School.

 

The 9^th Annual BINGO Fundraiser to benefit the RI Polio Plus Program and our Charitable Giving Program, will be held on Sunday afternoon this year instead of a Saturday morning.  Games will start at 2:00 p.m. with doors opening at noon time on May 21st.  The BINGO games will be run by the Rochambeau Club crew this year (as a test) in hopes that more of their “regular” Bingo players will come back. This is serious business for many of the players and they don’t enjoy the games or attend as often when it is a fundraiser and they don’t have the “professionals” calling the game.  The Rotarians have always done a good job but we are going to change it up a little and see if we have a better turn out than the last couple of years.  I’m really hoping that this will be the year for the best showing of Rotarians at this event.  This may be the last year that we do the event so I’d like it to go out with a bang!  With the Rochambeau Club volunteers, ALL of the Rotarians and their families will be eligible to actually play the game!  . 

 

We will still need to get sponsors and pre-sell tickets.  There will be guaranteed $1,400 in prize money handed out.  If we get enough in sponsors, pretty much everything we raise is profit.  There is very little expense to this fundraiser.  The more tickets we can pre-sell the better off we will be.  There are no refunds, so if someone buys a ticket and decides not to come play at the last minute, we have their donation.  Tickets will be $20 and will cover all of the regular games.  There will be a few additional games, including a winner take-all,  that can be purchased at the door.  Sponsors who donate a $100 or more will have their name printed on the game program that is provided to all players and will be announced throughout the event.  They can also hang signs and/or hand-out trinkets, coupons, etc. to attendees.  Their name will also be listed on our Website and Facebook page.  If you are interested in sponsoring a game or know someone who is, please get in touch with Julie Villemaire (call or text 286-5474 or email villemaire@maine.rr.com).