Patti Matthews and her children, Chase, 10, and Sienna, 12, of Howell, donated $1,000 to the Griebling School after their entry in the National Red Ribbon Photo Contest was selected as the winner in the New Jersey and New York region. A family from Howell was selected as one of 10 nationwide winners in the National Red Ribbon Photo Contest during the 28th annual Red Ribbon Week.
For the National Red Ribbon Photo Contest, participants from around the United States decorate part of their home to fit a specific theme. The theme for 2013 was “A Healthy Me Is Drug Free.” After decorating their home, the participants take a photograph of the decorations and submit it for consideration.
“My children and I really wanted to do it,” said Patti Matthews, who is a former preschool teacher. “I talk regularly to my son, Chase, who is 10, and my daughter, Sienna, who is 12, about alcohol and drug abuse.”
Matthews said her family’s decoration included pictures of two healthy children, a nutrition guide, and fruits and vegetables adorning the door of her home. She said many people asked questions about the decoration, which the family put up just before Halloween.
“We put it up about a week before Halloween and kept it up until we put up our Christmas wreath,” Matthews said. “It was great. There were kids asking about it and they seemed really interested. It was a great thing for us to do, especially with the [heroin] epidemic happening in Monmouth and Ocean counties.”
The Matthews family was selected as the winner in the New Jersey and New York region and received an iPad and $1,000 to donate to a school of their choice.
“We chose the Griebling School,” Matthews said. “My son currently attends the school and my daughter went through there. We said that if we ever won again we would give the money to Howell Memorial Middle School, since that’s where she goes now.”
Griebling School Principal Nancy Rupp said, “We always celebrate Red Ribbon Week and we put a lot into it. I go on the Red Ribbon website all the time.
“I put the contest out to parents, and this year the Matthews family decided to participate and won. What I like most about the contest is that it involves the whole community. We make a bigger impact on kids when we work together as a community,” Rupp said.
The federal Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) co-sponsored and supported the contest in honor of fallen DEA agent Kiki Camarena.