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Red Ribbon Week

The nation's largest and longest-running drug-use prevention campaign.

Lauren Andrews

 

Who We Are  

National Family Partnership, formerly the National Federation of Parents for Drug Free Youth, was established as a grassroots, nonprofit organization in 1980 by a handful of concerned and determined parents who were convinced they should begin to play a leadership role in drug prevention.  Since its founding thirty years ago, NFP has devoted its efforts to the well-being of youth. Today, NFP is a national leader in drug prevention education & advocacy. Our mission is to lead and support our nation’s families and communities in nurturing the full potential of healthy, drug free youth.

What We Do

AWARENESS – NFP provides drug awareness by sponsoring the annual National Red Ribbon Campaign™.  Since its beginning in 1985, the Red Ribbon has touched the lives of millions of people around the world. In response to the murder of DEA Agent Enrique Camarena, angered parents and youth in communities across the country began wearing Red Ribbons as a symbol of their commitment to raise awareness of the killing and destruction cause by drugs in America. In 1988, NFP sponsored the first National Red Ribbon Celebration. Today, the Red Ribbon serves as a catalyst to mobilize communities to educate youth and encourage participation in drug prevention activities.

ADVOCACY – NFP is active in bringing the concerns and agenda of America’s parents and families to policy makers on a local, state, and national level. Joining NFP enables parents and coalitions to have direct access to our nation’s leaders and decision makers.

RESOURCES – Our organization acts as a national clearinghouse of prevention literature. NFP has developed a series of prevention brochures to help educate our Partners with all the latest information on our Universal Campaigns such as: Red Ribbon Campaign, Red Ribbon Certified Schools, Lock Your Meds , and Safe Homes / Safe Parties.

 

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The Red Ribbon Campaign™ and Enrique Kiki Camarena

Since its beginning in 1985, the Red Ribbon has touched the lives of millions of people around the world. In response to the murder of DEA Agent Enrique Camarena, angered parents and youth in communities across the country began wearing Red Ribbons as a symbol of their commitment to raise awareness of the killing and destruction cause by drugs in America.

Enrique (Kiki) Camarena was a Drug Enforcement Administration Agent who was tortured and killed in Mexico in 1985. When he decided to join the US Drug Enforcement Administration, his mother tried to talk him out of it. "I'm only one person", he told her, "but I want to make a difference."

On Feb. 7, 1985, the 37-year-old Camarena left his office to meet his wife for lunch. Five men appeared at the agent's side and shoved him in a car. One month later, Camarena's body was found. He had been tortured to death.

In honor of Camarena's memory and his battle against illegal drugs, friends and neighbors began to wear red badges of satin. Parents, sick of the destruction of alcohol and other drugs, had begun forming coalitions. Some of these new coalitions took Camarena as their model and embraced his belief that one person can make a difference. These coalitions also adopted the symbol of Camarena's memory, the red ribbon.

In 1988, NFP sponsored the first National Red Ribbon Celebration. Today, the Red Ribbon serves as a catalyst to mobilize communities to educate youth and encourage participation in drug prevention activities. Since that time, the campaign has reached millions of U.S. children and families. The National Family Partnership (NFP) and its network of individuals and organizations continue to deliver his message of hope to millions of people every year, through the National Red Ribbon Campaign™.

Learn more about the Red Ribbon Campaign. Download the Factsheet.

 

Also check out the Red Ribbon Campaign's list of FAQ's

 

Red Ribbon Photo Gallery

Click on the album below to view some of our archived photos


Red Ribbon Past

Photo Contest Entries

Pledges Signed

School participating nationwide

2017 Approved Peggy Sapp headshot

 

About Peggy B. Sapp, B.S.

Mrs. Sapp is President of the National Family Partnership, headquartered in Miami, Florida. She is also President and CEO of Informed Families/The Florida Family Partnership, an agency she helped create, developing it from six volunteers into a multi-million dollar agency with statewide and national outreach to families, schools, and communities.  Mrs. Sapp developed the National Red Ribbon Campaign™ into an annual national event that is a major force for raising awareness and mobilizing communities in the fight against drugs. She is a recognized leader in drug prevention through grassroots involvement and is the recipient of numerous honors and community service awards. She was honored as one of the historic leaders in the field of parenting and prevention with the 1999 National Parents' Day Award, "Lighting the Way to a New Millennium," from the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy and the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention. She serves on the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy Advisory Council, the National Institute of Drug Abuse Advisory Council, Governor Bush's Statewide Drug Policy Advisory Council.  Mrs. Sapp attended the University of Maryland and is an honors graduate of Barry University.