COLUMBIA, SC (WOLO) — Red Ribbon Week is a national effort to inspire kids across the US to live a drug-free life. Tuesday morning, students of  Richland One’s Pine Grove Elementary School got in on the action with their very own parade. Third, fourth, and fifth graders walked alongside local First Responders while being cheered on by their fellow classmates. Richland One Superintendent Dr. Craig Witherspoon and Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott served as grand marshals for the parade, encouraging kids to stay away from drugs, and let them know who they can turn to for help if they ever encounter them. “They can come to us. I mean you know when you read about somebody we’ve caught at school with guns or drugs, that’s not us, that’s the kids. The kids police the schools themselves. They don’t want violence, they don’t want drugs in their schools, so they know they can go to an SRO and tell them and nobody is gonna know that they told them. But we’re gonna get the drugs and we’re gonna get the gun, so building that relationship allows the kids to police the schools themselves,” says Lott. Dr. Witherspoon says unfortunately kids are oftentimes exposed to things at earlier ages nowadays, and they need to know how to react, who they can turn to, and how to make positive decisions. “Our SROs as you can see today, Deputy Hill, did an outstanding job of coordinating a week of events around this, that includes community partners, agencies, and the parade. As we go through the community, parents and community members get to see what’s going on, they get to see the students chant, and they also get to see our law enforcement in a positive light, because we all want the same things. We want great communities. We want great schools. We want great students, and all of us coming together supports that, and we consider the sheriff’s department and law enforcement a part of the partnership that makes that happen,” says Witherspoon. Red Ribbon Week will continue through October 31st. Categories: Local News, News Tags: Dr. Craig Witherspoon, drug-free, Pine Grove Elementary School, red ribbon week, Sheriff Leon Lott