‘There’s no expiration date on success’

Posted on: 10/17/24

Red Ribbon Week, Oct. 23-31, is an annual celebration that highlights the importance of living a drug-free life. During the week, students and educators take a pledge to increase their knowledge by learning more about the destructive effects of drug abuse and renew their commitment to live a healthy lifestyle.

Angennetta Boyd, counselor at Northridge Middle, began the week-long celebration early by inviting motivational speaker and author Tommie Mabry, Ph.D., to share about his life’s journey and encourage students to make good decisions.

Mabry visited Cochrane Collegiate Academy, Garinger, Harding University, Julius L. Chambers and West Mecklenburg high schools and spoke with students about how the decisions they make today can affect their futures.

“There’s no expiration date on success,” shared Mabry. “You can’t walk into your future with your foot in the past.”

Mabry’s visit also kicks off a project Boyd is helping to implement through funds awarded from the Mecklenburg County ABC Board Annual Grant Program. The grant project focuses on targeted activities during Red Ribbon Week that includes staff education and involvement, student and parent education and a culminating community event. 

With this year’s theme, “Life is a Movie, Film Drug Free,” Boyd said part of the project will be a documentary the five high schools will create that will highlight how they recognized Red Ribbon Week. The films will be shown during a film fest later in the year.

“The schools are excited,” said Boyd. “We want to continue to look for ways to talk about substance-abuse prevention and education past Red Ribbon Week.”