A local middle school has won a national contest designed to support substance abuse awareness efforts.

Hartland’s Ore Creek Middle School has been announced as the winner of the 2017 National Red Ribbon Photo Contest. Students, faculty and staff, led by STAND advisor Denise Terry, decorated the campus with this year’s theme, “Your Future Is Key, So Stay Drug Free®.” STAND is an acronym for Students Taking A New Direction. The contest takes place each year in late October as a part of National Red Ribbon Week – the nation’s oldest and largest drug prevention campaign, sponsored by the National Family Partnership.

Terry will receive an iPad from NFP and the school will receive a $1,000 prize from contest co-sponsors, the Drug Enforcement Administration, to be used toward drug prevention. Ore Creek Principal Steve Livingway he was excited that the hard work of both Terry and Peggy Storey, who created the Experienced Based Career Education program, was being recognized, adding that they always make Red Ribbon Week an important event at the school. Livingway says it is “much easier to be proactive and prevent issues instead of responding to a serious problem.” (JK)