Area students wore caps, ties and mismatched socks and also planted flowers during Red Ribbon Week. Observed each year from Oct. 23-31, the Red Ribbon Campaign is the oldest and largest drug prevention program in the country.

"Our highlight for the week was the whole school planting red tulip bulbs," said Jennifer Homan, counselor at Parkway Elementary in Tupelo.

The Red Ribbon Campaign was started after drug traffickers in Mexico City murdered Kiki Camarena, a DEA agent, in 1985. In honor of Camarena's memory, friends and neighbors began to wear red badges of satin. Parent coalitions took note, adopting the red ribbon as a symbol of the fight against drugs.

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