By Sherry Larson
Hee, Hee Ho, Ho drug free’s the way to go,” chanted members of Drug Free Clubs of America from the CTC, Peebles, North Adams, and West Union High Schools as they paraded their way wearing school-designed tee shirts and carrying signs and posters from the Adams COunty Training Center to the Courthouse in West Union. Sheriff Kenny Dick drove a cruiser to lead the way to the first Drug Free Rally held on the courthouse lawn, where a large group of supporters met the students.
This school year, Adams County Schools initiated Drug-Free Clubs. These clubs are one more way to encourage and incentivize students to stay away from alcohol, drugs and vaping. Students who want to join must have a parent’s consent to complete a private drug test. If the drug test result is negative, they become a member. The test results are kept strictly between the Drug Free Clubs of America and the parents. Random tests are conducted throughout the year, and the school does not receive the results. According to the Club’s website, the parents are automatically enrolled in a “Take 5” program that provides them with drug-related talking points and casual dialogue to engage their teen.
Members receive an ID Club Card for participating. Presenting this card to the community and participating rewarders identifies that a student is drug-free and eligible for the perks of membership, such as no uniform days, drug-free shirts, a cell phone at lunch weeks, permission to decorate a personal parking space, kayaking day, open lunch (taking food outside of the cafeteria), and food for the meetings.
The Adams County Youth Prevention, led by Tami Graham and Danielle Poe (Co-Coordinators), and Justin Maddox (Chair) sponsored the rally.
Pastor Michael Parks emceed the morning, calling on folks to respond to his “Drug Free” cheer with “that’s me” throughout the rally. Speakers Lee Pertuset, Adams County Engineer and Jalyn Smith, HR Manager for GE Aerospace, gave inspirational speeches about the importance of staying drug-free in relation to future endeavors and career paths. The Honorable Judge Brett Spencer told the students, “I want to recognize something truly powerful, and that’s the courage to stand apart, and that’s what you are doing here today.”
Student speakers included Max Gray leading the pledge, R2 Dunkin, and Johnie Edwards (NAHS),Nevaeh Baldwin and Earl Zayack, Jr. (CTC), Calen Vogler and Annabelle Kitchen (PHS), and Makenzie Reeves and Logan Caldwell (WUHS).
Coordinators for Adams County’s Drug Free Clubs are Jasmine Osman, NAHS, Sydney Edmisten, CTC, Julia Reno, PHS, and Billy Joe McCann, WUHS. This year, membership is around 120 students. Tami Graham added that once these groups have completed a successful year, they will concentrate on a start-up for Manchester and the Adams County Christian School.
Addison Ormes of NAHS and Kianna McKinley of PHS were awarded Amazon Gift Cards as part of the Drug Free Clubs of America’s scholarship contest. Participants throughout the country wrote essays on the importance of staying free. Ormes and McKinley placed in the top ten out of nearly 100 applicants.
The rally concluded with cheers from supporters. The student members ate lunch together at the fairgrounds to wrap up the day.
Drug-Free Clubs have proven to be a community asset – they claim, “It works because it is just so easy!” As R2 Dunkin articulated at his presentation, “Nobody wakes up and thinks today I’m going to mess everything up. Most of the time, it’s about stress, or pressure, curiosity, or just wanting to feel something different for a little while – I think that’s human. That’s exactly why this conversation matters.”
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