DAPHNE, Ala.—Caroline Slaughter—who won the Red Ribbon Leadership Award for her essay on “Why not to do Drugs”—said, “When you drink, you can have car wrecks, do things you don’t want to do and you can hurt people.”

Slaughter will receive recognition for her efforts at the 2008-09 Superintendent’s Red Ribbon Leadership Awards Dinner, Jan. 12 at the Daphne Civic Center.

Student leaders from 141 public, private and parochial schools in Baldwin and Mobile counties will be honored by school system officials.

The event—sponsored by the Drug Education Council Inc.—brings together the education community from both sides of Mobile Bay to recognize a student from each school who has led substance-abuse prevention and community service activities throughout the fall.

The 2009 Red Ribbon Leadership Award winners have focused on the theme of “One World, One Dream” as they worked to encourage classmates to make healthy choices and to become more responsible, caring citizens.

President Gordon Moulton of the University of South Alabama will provide the keynote address and will be joined on stage for an awards ceremony by school Superintendents Faron Hollinger of Baldwin County, Roy Nichols of Mobile County, Gwen Byrd of the Mobile Catholic Archdiocese and Paul Sousa of the Saraland City Schools. 

Nearly 1,000 students, parents, educators and community leaders are expected to attend the event that will conclude with a colorful multimedia presentation spotlighting the honorees’ service work.

Red Ribbon Week is celebrated each year as a time to promote healthy decision-making and a drug-free lifestyle among America’s schoolchildren.  The Drug Education Council Inc., a United Way agency that serves seven counties in southwest Alabama, created the Superintendents’ Red Ribbon Leadership Awards program in 2000 to promote positive character and community service.

Another highlight will be the announcement of the 2009 Red Ribbon Leadership Scholarships–-a program initiated in 2005 to recognize those participating high school seniors whose service projects have made the greatest impact on their school and community. This year’s scholarships will bring the total amount awarded by the Drug Education Council since 2005 to more than $20,000.

Staff Writer Sasha Heller contributed to this report.