Fall 2013 Prescription Drug Take Back Event Nets 1,023.8 LBS. of Pharmaceuticals

      

Fall 2013 Prescription Drug Take Back Event Nets 1,023.8 LBS. of Pharmaceuticals

StandUP Polk, the Coalition for a Drug-Free Polk, and local law enforcement agencies were proud to participate in the DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back event on October 26, 2013, and host our community’s Purge Your Pills Rx Drop Off for citizens to turn in unused, expired, or unwanted Human and Pet Medications.

An estimated 1,023.8 pounds of recovered pharmaceuticals were collected and safely disposed of via incineration. Drop-off sites included Auburndale Police Department, Haines City Police Department, Lake Alfred Police Department, Lake Wales Police Department, and Lakeland Police Department. The Lake Wales location alone collected 199.8 lbs.

National Prescription Drug Take Back Day addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. More than seven million Americans currently abuse prescription drugs, according to the 2009 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Each day, approximately, 2,500 teens use prescription drugs to get high for the first time, according to the Partnership for a Drug Free America.  Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including the home medicine cabinet.

This latest event brings the total for prescription medication collections held in Polk County to 5,423 pounds of recovered pharmaceuticals dating back to 2010. All medications were safely disposed of via incineration. 

Unwanted medications may also be taken to the county’s permanent drop site locations at Police Departments in Auburndale, Haines City, Lake Alfred, Lakeland and Winter Haven. 

Medications may also be safely disposed of at home by dissolving them in water, mixing with coffee grounds or cat litter, pouring into a zip lock bag, and disposing in the trash. To avoid harming lakes and ground water, please do not dump medications into the toilet.

StandUP Polk, the Coalition for a Drug-Free Polk, is a group of concerned citizens, law enforcement, community and business leaders working together to take a stand against drugs and bring about positive change for Polk County. For more information, please contact StandUP Polk at (863) 802-0777.

Polk County’s Inaugural Red Ribbon Half Marathon & Kids Fun Run

Polk County’s Inaugural Red Ribbon Half Marathon & Kids Fun Run

Saturday, November 9, 2013 at the Lake Mirror Promenade

Registration Closes on Sunday, November 3, 2013

Get excited for the Publix Red Ribbon Half Marathon & Run! Building on InnerAct Alliance’s successful 20+ years of momentum in presenting one of the largest Red Ribbon Campaigns in the state, the popular Red Ribbon Run tradition continues with Polk County’s Inaugural Half Marathon & Fun Run on Saturday, November 9, 2013.

The Red Ribbon Half Marathon & Fun Run, presented by Title Sponsor Publix Super Markets, Inc., is a Family Weekend where parents can compete in the half marathon and children can participate in the Kids Fun Run. Race registration will take place at the event website at www.RedRibbonHalf.com until 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, November 3^rd.

The registration fee is $80 for Red Ribbon Half Marathon Runners who register by midnight on October 31^st and increases to $100 for those who register by midnight on November 3^rd. The course and distance have been officially certified by the Road Running Technical Council of the USA Track & Field – Certification Code #FL13012TY. The scenic Half Marathon will take place along picturesque Lake Mirror and Lakeland’s beautiful downtown and Lake to Lake area. Start time for the Half Marathon on Saturday morning, November 9^th, will be at 7:00 a.m.

The Kids Fun Run for students in grades K-8 begins at 8:00 a.m. Registration for the Fun Run is FREE and includes a commemorative Run t-shirt for pre-registered participants, along with free refreshments! Registration check-in will take place at the Lake Mirror Auditorium, prior to 8:00 a.m. The Fun Run will start and finish at Lake Mirror Promenade, 121 S. Lake Ave., in Lakeland, and the route will loop around Lake Mirror. Special awards will be given for first, second, and third place runners in gender categories. Awards will also be given to the top 3 elementary schools and top middle school with the largest percentage of participating students, based on school census number.

Festivities also include the Kid’s Health & Wellness Carnival on Friday evening, November 8, 2013 at LEGOLAND Florida’s interactive theme park for families with children ages 2-12. Families who are interested in attending are encouraged to visit the event web site to pre-order tickets in advance. Admission to LEGOLAND is limited to the first 5,000 people and requires a $5.00 donation/admission ticket.

Link: https://runsignup.com/Race/Store/FL/Lakeland/InnerActAllianceRedRibbonHalfMarathonRun  

For additional details and event info, please contact InnerAct Alliance’s executive director, Angie Ellison, at (863) 802-0777. Info is also available at the official event website at: www.redribbonhalf.com, and on Twitter at: www.twitter.com/RedRibbonHalf and Facebook:  www.facebook.com/RedRibbonHalf.

Fall National Prescription Drug Take Back Day - Saturday, October 26, 2013 - 10 AM to 2 PM

StandUP Polk and local law enforcement agencies are proud to join The Drug Enforcement Administration and its national and community partners for the Fall National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day on Saturday, October 26, 2013 from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm, for citizens who want to dispose of unwanted and unused prescription drugs.

National Prescription Drug Take Back Day addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. More than seven million Americans currently abuse prescription drugs, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Each day, approximately, 2,500 teens use prescription drugs to get high for the first time according to the Partnership for a Drug Free America.  Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including the home medicine cabinet.

Our community’s Purge Your Pills Rx Drop Off will include 6 locations in Polk County for citizens to turn in unused, expired, or unwanted Human and Pet Medications for safe and proper disposal. Medications should be placed in a clear, air-tight plastic bag.  Drop-off locations from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm are:

Auburndale Police Department – 2 Bobby Green Plaza, Auburndale, FL
Haines City Police Department – 35400 Highway 27, Haines City, FL
Lake Alfred Police Department – 190 North Seminole Avenue, Lake Alfred, FL
Lake Wales Police Department - 133 East Tillman Avenue, Lake Wales, FL
Lakeland Police Department – 219 N. Massachusetts Avenue, Lakeland, FL
Winter Haven Police Department – 125 North Lake Silver Drive NW, Winter Haven, FL

Previous prescription medication collections held in Polk County dating back to 2010 have resulted in nearly 4,400 pounds of recovered pharmaceuticals. All medications were safely disposed of via incineration. 

For folks unable to attend on October 26^th, unwanted medications may also be taken to the county’s permanent drop site locations at Police Departments in Auburndale, Haines City, Lake Alfred, Lakeland and Winter Haven. Medications may also be safely disposed of at home by dissolving them in water, mixing with coffee grounds or cat litter, pouring into a zip lock bag, and disposing in the trash. To avoid harming lakes and ground water, please do not dump medications into the toilet. 

For more information on the local Pill Drop event or locations, please contact StandUP Polk at (863) 802-0777.

Bully Prevention Program Representatives for the PAX Good Behavior Game Coming to Polk County on October 15 and October 17, 2013

Dr. Dennis Embry, researcher of the PAX Good Behavior Game, along with program representatives from around the United States and Canada, will be in Polk County on Tuesday, October 15, 2013 and Thursday, October 17, 2013, to observe the work done by InnerAct Alliance with the PAX Good Behavior Game in the Lake Wales Charter Elementary schools.  PAX means Peace in Latin.

Dinner and discussion sessions with Dr. Embry, hosted by InnerAct Alliance, will be held on Tuesday, October 15^th, at L’Incontro Restaurant, at 35 Highway 60, in Lake Wales, FL. All of the Lake Wales Charter School teachers, administrators, and superintendent, Jesse Jackson, will be in attendance at the dinner and presentation. The public is welcome to learn more about the program at the session which begins at 6:00 pm. 

In addition, Dr. Embry, along with approximately 75 program representatives from the U.S. and Canada who are currently using PAX in their school districts, will visit teachers and classrooms at Polk Avenue Elementary and Hillcrest Elementary on Thursday, October 17^th to experience the work that InnerAct Alliance teachers are doing with the teachers in these schools. The teachers that have utilized the PAX games with fidelity in their classrooms have seen a dramatic difference in their students’ behaviors, and have also had a dramatic drop in office referrals.  These teachers are spending more time on task with learning and less time disciplining.

The PAX Good Behavior Game is a proven, research-based classroom management model designed for use in all grade levels. Based on a strategy developed by a classroom teacher 40 years ago, the PAX Game involves student teams “competing against” each other to earn rewards for refraining from disruptive, inattentive, or aggressive behavior.  Approximately 20 published studies have shown that use of this model results in decreased classroom disruptions (by 50-90%), a great number of students fully engaged in learning (by 20-50%), decreased referrals and suspensions (by 30-60%), and more time for teaching and learning (by 25%). Studies have also shown that children who experienced the Good Behavior Game in elementary school were less likely to be involved in violent behaviors later in life, and were less likely to use tobacco or other drugs later in life.  The PAX program promotes peace and encourages students to work together which assists with bully prevention.

InnerAct Alliance has been successfully coaching the PAX Good Behavior Game in all of the Lake Wales Charter Elementary schools since 2011, beginning in first grade and moving forward a grade each year. The grant was written with collaboration from InnerAct Alliance and the Polk Education Foundation. Funding for the program has been provided by a Federal Government grant through SAMHSA.  The grant is currently in its third year, and runs two more years. Instructors continue to create sustainability in the community so it continues long after the program is completed.

For additional information, please contact InnerAct Alliance Executive Director, Angie Ellison, at (863) 802-0777, or via e-mail at: angie.ellison@inneractalliance.org

Polk County’s First and Only Red Ribbon Half Marathon & Kids Fun Run - Saturday, November 9, 2013

Get excited for the Publix Red Ribbon Half Marathon & Run! Building on InnerAct Alliance’s successful 20+ years of momentum in presenting one of the largest Red Ribbon Campaigns in the state, the popular Red Ribbon Run tradition continues with Polk County’s First and Only Half Marathon & Fun Run on Saturday, November 9, 2013. Half marathons have become increasingly popular with running enthusiasts because they offer an achievable racing challenge for beginners, experts, and everyone in between.

The Red Ribbon Half Marathon & Fun Run, presented by Title Sponsor Publix Super Markets, Inc., is a Family Weekend where parents can compete in the half marathon and children can participate in the Kids Fun Run. Exercising as a family not only builds better relationships and healthy habits that last a lifetime, but prevention research also shows that parents who spend quality time with their kids are more likely to have kids who stay out of trouble!

Registration for the Half Marathon, as well as the Kids Fun Run, will take place at the event website at www.RedRibbonHalf.com. The Half Marathon course will take place along picturesque Lake Mirror and Lakeland’s beautiful downtown and Lake to Lake area. Start time for the Half Marathon on Saturday morning, November 9^th, will be at 7:00 a.m. with the Kids Fun Run beginning at 8:00 a.m. Registration check in will take place at the Lake Mirror Auditorium.

Students in grades K-8 enjoy free registration, which includes a commemorative Run t-shirt for race participants and free refreshments! The Fun Run will start and finish at Lake Mirror Promenade, 121 S. Lake Ave., in Lakeland, and the route will loop around Lake Mirror. Special awards will be given for first, second, and third place runners in gender categories. Awards will also be given to the top 3 elementary schools and top middle school with the largest percentage of participating students, based on school census number.

Festivities also include the Kid’s Health & Wellness Carnival on Friday evening, November 8, 2013 at LEGOLAND Florida’s interactive theme park for families with children ages 2-12. Families who are interested in attending are encouraged to visit the event web site to pre-order tickets in advance. Admission to LEGOLAND is limited to the first 5,000 people and requires a $5.00 donation/admission ticket. 

Link: https://runsignup.com/Race/Store/FL/Lakeland/InnerActAllianceRedRibbonHalfMarathonRun  

For additional details and event info, please contact InnerAct Alliance’s executive director, Angie Ellison, at (863) 802-0777. Info is also available at the official event website at: www.redribbonhalf.com, and on Twitter at: www.twitter.com/RedRibbonHalf and Facebook:  www.facebook.com/RedRibbonHalf.