Anti-drug message hits home during parade

More than 500 pupils of Martinez Elementary School held a parade March 3 to oppose illegal drugs.

Organized as part of a 4-H community service project, each grade picked their own animal mascot and slogan for the Drug-Free Parade. They then decorated a wagon and marched around the entrance of the school located on Flowing Wells Road.

Pulling a wagon decorated as a dragon, fifth-graders paraded with a banner reading, "Don't leave your dreams 'dragon' behind you. Stay away from drugs."

The third-graders' panda-theme wagon bore the banner, "Stop the 'pandamonium.' Be drug free."

The brainchild of fifth-grade teacher Kristen Greer, it was the preparation for the parade that drove home the anti-drug message with the students, she said.

"Each of the teachers put a lot of work in with their classes for the parade and talking about how bad drugs are," Greer said. "The parade is just a culmination of all that learning."

A small panel judged each grade level on several levels and each class won an award, Greer said.