Drug Store Project extends gratitude to the community

“Choices, what are yours?” continues to be the theme of our efforts in keeping our youth drug free. I want to thank the many agencies, service clubs, businesses, and volunteers who provided the 20th Annual Drug Store Project event on April 4, 2023, at South Tahoe Middle School. Teaching our youth about the dangers of all drugs; marijuana, alcohol, tobacco, e-cigarettes, over the counter as well as prescriptive medications, gets more challenging each year.

This year our 325 sixth-grade students had the assistance of over 200 volunteers to send a clear message that they are valued. The agencies and groups who provided this program strongly believe that a difference can be made for our kids. Collectively we believe that if youth are provided knowledge about the effects drugs have on the body, the mind, family and social life, productivity, and overall life experiences, many more will choose not to experiment and not to participate in drug use. If we can collectively put off the “age of onset” to experimentation, then we can see a difference for our youth. Less drug use means less demand. Less demand is less costly in lives and in all facets of our community.

Our day consisted of 17 different Scenes and Stations, all of which were 11-minutes in length, all a part of an overall story. If you’d like to see what the day was like, please take the time to view the Drug Store Project Videos we created during COVID years. You can find them all at www.drugstoreproject.org.

We’re especially proud of the “Party Scene” organized and implemented by South Tahoe High School Friday Night Live members, themselves past participants in the program when younger, who took their school day to emphasize to the younger youth that drugs do not need to be a part of their lives. They can “choose” to stay healthy and safe. We also continue to have the assistance of our California and Nevada National Guard Drug Demand Reduction Unit personnel who help us with our day.

El Dorado Community Foundation is the agency under which our program is based. It takes money and people to make this event happen for our youth. The Drug Store Project continues to be supported completely through donations, grants, and in-kind donations from businesses.

Our great thanks to:

Event Sponsors: City of South Lake Tahoe, Tahoe Women’s Community Fund, Soroptimist International of Tahoe Sierra, Edgewood Tahoe, South Lake Tahoe Police Department, and Optimist Club of South Lake Tahoe.

Event Donors: John & Cheryl Cook, El Dorado Savings Bank, Kiwanis Club of Tahoe Sierra, American Century Championship, South Lake Tahoe Police Department’s Police Officers’ Association, Loyal Order of Moose – #1632, Women of the Moose Chapter 408, Kiwanis Club of Lake Tahoe, Lake Valley Firefighter Foundation, Rotary Club of South Lake Tahoe, and Rotary Club of Tahoe-Douglas.

Our In-kind Donors who make our event so special: Harrah’s Lake Tahoe, Harrah’s HEROs, Lake Tahoe Resort Hotel, and Camelot Party Rentals.

We would like to extend our gratitude to the following entities: Barton Health, Cal Tahoe JPA, California Highway Patrol, CA National Guard Counterdrug Task Force, CALSTAR, Camelot Party Rentals, City of South Lake Tahoe, Douglas County Search & Rescue, EDC Probation, EDC Public Defender, EDC Search & Rescue -Tahoe Team, EDC Sheriff's Office, EDC Sheriff's STARs, EDC Superior Court, El Dorado Savings Bank, Federal Bureau of Investigation, George Whittell High School, Gentiva Hospice Care, Harrah's H.E.R.O.s, Harrahʻs Lake Tahoe, Kiwanis Club of Lake Tahoe, Kiwanis Club of Tahoe Sierra, Lake Tahoe Resort Hotel, Lake Valley Fire Protection District, Live Violence Free, McFarlane Mortuary, NV National Guard Counterdrug Task Force, Optimist Club of South Lake Tahoe , Partnership Douglas County, Soroptimist International of Tahoe Sierra, South Lake Tahoe Fire Department, South Lake Tahoe Police Department, STHS Friday Night Live, South Tahoe Middle School, STMS Club Live, Suicide Prevention Network, Tahoe Alliance for SAFE Kids, Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District, Rotary Club of Tahoe Douglas, Tahoe Youth & Family Services, and the many amazing community volunteers!

We hope that you and your child openly discuss the dangers of all drugs on a regular basis. Get educated together and know what is happening in your community. We invite every parent of a child who experienced the program to take the time to complete the Parent Survey at www.drugstoreproject.org by the end of Friday, April 7, 2023. Your input will help our program in future years. You can also compare the pre and post-event surveys completed by the 6th-grade students. We are thrilled with the increased knowledge gained by our youth due to the day’s program.

And get informed via Tahoe Alliance for Safe Kids (TASK) text messages. This is OPEN to all parents in our community and it’s free. TASK's mission is to prevent and reduce youth substance use and related harm - Keeping kids safe in collaboration with our community partners. Sign up for the Parent Group Texting Network and stay informed about substance use topics and local trends affecting our community youth. Evidence-based facts with reference links are sent roughly 2-3 times a month to help parents stay informed and aware. To be added to the Parent Texting group and receive information. Text TASK to phone number 888777

If you would like to volunteer for this program next year, you can do so now and we’ll see you on April 2, 2024! Simply go to www.drugstoreproject.org and we’ll be in touch.

Gratefully,
Lisa Huard and Theresa Papandrea
Drug Store Project Coordinators