National Red Ribbon Week Highlighted Cairo/Grady County Employer Committee Contributes

Many residents of Grady County are impacted by drug and alcohol abuse in some form.   October 23-29, 2011 was set aside to host local events aimed at sharing resources for prevention, treatment and general awareness of substance abuse in Grady County. The Grady County Substance Abuse Awareness and Prevention Team was joined by the Cairo/Grady County Employer Committee along with others to plan and prepare a week long list of activities to bring information to the citizens of Grady County. According to the Partnership for a Drug Free America, Americans spend $484 billion a year on health care, lost wages and other expenditures due to drug abuse and addiction.   

The Grady County Substance Abuse Awareness and Prevention Team, along with the Cairo/Grady County Employer Committee and other team members from around the community distributed red ribbons to local schools, churches and businesses and gave silicone bracelets that read Red Ribbon week, Choose to be Drug Free to all local students in the fifth grade and higher.  Wednesday of the week was “Faith Day and from 12:30 pm to 1:00pm local Red Ribbon Week officials hosted a public prayer session on the Grady County Courthouse square. A highlight of the week was a community-wide drug awareness seminar and dinner 6:00pm to 7:30pm.  This event was free to the public, due to donations made by the Cairo/Grady County Employer Committee. 

The dinner was prepared and served by the Cairo/Grady County Employer Committee with assistance from the NJROTC students from the local high school.  A special Thanks to Debbie Baird, Manager of the Cairo Career Center who orchestrated a beautiful spaghetti dinner with all the trimmings.   At this event, resources were shared by three guest speakers, longtime youth advocate William Carroll, Grady County Sheriff’s Investigator Robert Bruce and and Ben Bryant local recovering addict. Few eyes were dry when a Grady County man lay his soul bare before a crowd gathered at the Grady County Drug Awareness Seminar and Dinner, recalling painful memories of time when he was plagued by drug abuse.

City Proclamation

Ben Bryant

Recovering Addict – shares personal testimony of the fall to drugs and the recovery process.

Investigator Robert Brice

Shared experienced in fighting the scourge of drugs in Grady County

William Carroll

Motivational Speaker – educated seminar guest on drug jargon, use signs and interventions