Students and staff were joined by members of the PTA, community members, local officials, and members of the Johnston County Sheriff’s Department, and Pine Level police and fire departments. The North Johnston High Band was also there to lead the parade.
The parade is the grand finale of a week filled with different themes for each day, such as “Favorite Sports Team Day”, and “School Spirit Day”. The students could barely contain their excitement as they marched around the school, showing off the posters and small floats they created.
The Pine Level Elementary Red Ribbon Week Parade debuted in 2013, and since then, it has become a feature event, not just for the school, but for the entire community. In 2022, Mayor Jeff Holt mandated the parade to be an annual event.
“Each year since 2013, the Pine Level Elementary Green Hornets have celebrated Red Ribbon Week allowing students to show our community their pledge to keep drug-free,” said Pine Level Elementary Principal Allen Sasser. “It is an annual event that students, parents, our town, & community support and look forward to each year.”
“This is my first year planning the event and it was amazing seeing the involvement from students, parents, and the community,” stated School Counselor and event co-planner Lauren Jack. “it is very important that we show our children how important it is to live drug-free while they are young so that it will impact their lives as adolescents, and even through adulthood.”
Red Ribbon Week is the largest and longest-running drug prevention campaign in the United States. The first National Red Ribbon Celebration was launched in 1988, and continues to serve as a motivation to mobilize communities to educate youth about drugs and encourage participation in drug-free activities.