Contests, costumes and cautionary speakers prevailed on Madison campuses for Red Ribbon Week on Oct. 22-26.

Red Ribbon Week allows communities and individuals to oppose drug abuse and encourage positive behavior in youth.

Columbia Elementary School focused on encouraging both children and parents to commit to live drug-free. To learn coloring contest winners, kindergartners and first-graders listened to Columbia’s “Morning Show” broadcast. Grades 2-6 competed in a poster contest for a free homework pass.

Columbia students wore peace signs for “Peace and School Are Cool” and dressed as their favorite celebrity for “Reach for the Stars — Not Drugs.” Columbia’s theme, “Be All You Can Be … Be Drug-Free” will pair with National Deployment Day on Oct. 26. Students will dress in camouflage or military gear and donate dimes to buy care packages for troops.

Other campuses are recognizing Deployment Day, like Horizon Elementary School. Horizon students wore crazy socks to “Sock It to Drugs” and their favorite boots to “Give Drugs the Boot.”

Most schools wore red to signify the week and their favorite college or professional team’s colors to ‘team up’ against drugs.

At Heritage Elementary School, the 2012 theme is “The Best Me is Drug-Free.” For Spirit Day, students wore Heritage T-shirts. Teachers joined students wearing house slippers for “Give Drugs the Slip” Day and crazy get-ups for “Wacky Tacky Day.” On Halloween Day, students will “Get Lost in Books, Not Drugs” in a parade as favorite book characters.

Recognizing the presidential election, Discovery Middle School adopted the theme, “I’m voting for my future – I’m drug free!” The Panthers also had a day for boots, book characters, nerds and the Grim Reaper.

Teachers Tammy Aparo, from left, John Hampton and Deb Harlow got into the act for Nerd Day at Discovery.

West Madison Elementary School students wore red ribbons, along with crazy socks, hats and team jerseys. On their chain-link fence, they ‘wrote’ an anti-drug message with red Solo cups. Poster contest winners received ice cream and pizza.

Dale ‘Mad Dog’ Messmer shared his personal story of drug smuggling and its consequences at Liberty and Discovery middle schools, James Clemens High School and St. John the Baptist Catholic School.

Detective Stephen Reaves with Madison Police Department discussed prescription drug abuse during brown bag lunches at Liberty and Discovery middle schools.