Realizing the importance of involving parents during Red Ribbon Week, the National Family Partnership, the national sponsors of the Red Ribbon Campaign, developed a contest with the goal of engaging more parents in Red Ribbon Week while benefiting both the family and the school. Through the National Red Ribbon Photo Contest, ten winners from across the United States are eligible to win an iPad for the family and $1,000 for their local K-12 school.

"The Red Ribbon Photo Contest was an opportunity for me to introduce the topic of drugs to my son,” said Jose Rivera, a father and past winner of the contest.” I don’t think I would have started talking about it yet. Once we started talking, I realized it was a good age to begin. It really helped open the doors."

Here’s how it works:

• Students and families decorate their home’s front door, mailbox or fence with a double-looped red ribbon and the theme, “Love Yourself. Be Drug Free.”
• Families take a photo with their decoration and upload it to www.redribbon.org/contest between now and Nov. 4. You must be 18 years or older to upload the photo and can do so from any desktop or mobile device.
• Family and friends vote for your entry between November 5^th and 19^th.
• Winners will be announced Dec. 5.

This year, schools are also eligible to enter on their own, although there is only one prize for a school decoration.

We encourage you to enter the contest yourself or spread the message about the contest to families and schools in your community. Together, we can help kids grow up safe, healthy and drug free.