HANCOCK – This Saturday Dial Help, Houghton Communities that Care, and the girl scouts are holding a special drug prevention event to prepare for Red Ribbon Week. A local panel of experts will discuss the dangers of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs to girl scouts and boy scouts attending the event.

Expected guests include Chief Wayne Butler of the Hancock Police Department; Houghton County Sheriff Brian McLean; Ray Smith of Copper Country Mental Health; Kerri Mayra of MTU Counseling Services; and student representatives of MTU Health and Wellness.

“Red Ribbon Week is a substance abuse prevention campaign that runs from Oct. 23-31 every year,” Kevin Weir of Dial Help explained. “The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has partnered with the scouts to offer a particular program patch for this particular week. What the scouts have to do to earn this patch, is attend a drug education event. They have to take the DEA Drug Free Pledge, and then they have to put together a community campaign themselves which runs through the week above.”

The event will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, October 8, at the Gloria Dei Lutheran Church on Quincy Street in Hancock.

During the second half of the event, girl scouts will have the opportunity to earn a DEA Red Ribbon patch by working on a Red Ribbon Week poster or video campaign. Rick Allen of Early Spring Productions has volunteered his time and talent and is already working with scouts filming You Tube video advertisements aimed at reaching area youth. That process will continue at this event.

Weir said this is the second year for the event, with approximately 20 scouts attending. They conducted a poster campaign and also crafted public service announcements that aired on local stations. The completed posters were displayed in local schools and businesses.

This year’s theme, Weir said, is “YOLO (You Only Live Once), Be drug Free.”

Lunch and all poster campaign materials will provided and there is no cost for this event. The event is funded by Dial Help, the Northcare Network, and Houghton and Keweenaw Communities that Care.

To register, RSVP by emailing Weir at kevin.weir@dialhelp.org