The Red Ribbon Celebration is a statewide awareness program to teach children about the harmful effects of drug abuse and the negative influences that drugs have on our lives. Many activities have been developed to coincide with the awareness program and are changing the lives of children daily.
The Jim Thorpe Association took over the Red Ribbon Celebration in 1999 and is the official state coordinator for Oklahoma. Today, Red Ribbon is the largest and most effective anti-drug abuse program for youth and is being utilized in the majority of Oklahoma schools.
At the beginning of the school year, a Red Ribbon Guidebook is mailed to every school in Oklahoma with ideas and directions for conducting Red Ribbon Drug Free Youth activities at the local level. One of the Red Ribbon activities gives children the opportunity to sign a pledge to be drug free at the beginning of the school year. At the end of the school year, each student receives a special recognition certificate. This year around 190,000 certificates will be awarded to children across the state.