Red Ribbon 2020 - A Hopeful Look Ahead!

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused InnerAct Alliance’s board of directors and staff to doubt the wisdom of holding our usual Fall programs and events that are attended annually by large groups of people, including children and their families. Safety is our main priority. While no one knows for certain what the months ahead will bring, we are beginning to plan some special activities and events that may take on a different look for 2020 as we attempt to follow safe social distancing practices.

Here’s a preview of what’s ahead:

With the uncertainty surrounding the Coronavirus and the challenges associated with hosting a large community event within social distancing guidelines, the InnerAct Alliance board of directors and staff have made a difficult decision that the Red Ribbon Run cannot be planned in its traditional format this year.

Exciting plans are underway to create a new Red Ribbon Virtual Race and Challenge which will begin on September 28, 2020 with Family Day - A Day to Eat Dinner with Your Children and continue through the month of October. The Red Ribbon Race and Challenge will present "prevention challenges" for students and adults to achieve milestones in an Olympic-themed virtual race offering bronze, silver, and gold levels for participants to earn medals and prizes! Completed challenges will be represented as milestones along a virtual path. 

Details for registration and weekly themed prevention challenges will be announced soon. Challenge themes may include: Nutrition, Healthy Body-Healthy Mind, Kindness, Anti-Bullying and Tolerance, Push-ups/Sit-ups, Run/Bike/Hike a Mile activities, etc. 

We hope you will join us for a new, different, and fun Red Ribbon event!

2020: A Year Like No Other!

We can probably all agree that it’s been one heck of a crazy year! 2020 began in the usual way - going to work, learning at school, playing sports, attending events, enjoying restaurants and movies, and hanging out with friends. Then suddenly in mid-March, along came the COVID-19 pandemic and our everyday lives came to a screeching halt as we were forced to adjust to a “new normal” to keep safe. Suddenly, we were staying home, social distancing, wearing a face mask, washing our hands more often, and experiencing life virtually rather than in person!

This has not been an easy time for anyone. No one wants to be apart from friends and family members and we miss interacting with each other. And, with school closings and many other closures and cancellations, we have missed out on celebrating special events such as prom, graduation, sports seasons, weddings, parties, vacation trips, etc.

As Summer begins, we are beginning to see hopeful signs that spread of the Coronavirus has lessened with fewer people becoming seriously ill. Hopefully, we can start to enjoy a return to normal with workplaces, restaurants, beaches, and theme parks reopening with safety precautions in place. Scientists are still studying COVID-19, so it’s important that we continue to keep safety in mind and social distance because there is no vaccine yet to help us become immune to this quick-spreading virus.

We want to stay connected while social distancing so we can continue to give and receive support from one another. InnerAct Alliance is committed to staying in touch with our amazing students, supportive business and prevention partners, families, and community. We are planning our Fall activities and events within safe social distancing guidelines and we look forward to celebrating the Annual Red Ribbon Campaign during October, teaching prevention education classes to students, and providing a great learning experience for our UthMpact Leadership Class X teen leaders – albeit in an alternate way. Be safe and stay well!