Next spring, if Island residents see an unusual number of red tulips popping up around the south end of the Island, this year’s Islander Middle School students will know why.

In honor of Red Ribbon Week, held annually the last week of October, students in Marla Mitchell’s leadership class spent Friday morning giving out red tulip bulbs to be planted this fall.

Red Ribbon week is the country’s oldest and largest drug prevention and awareness campaign, in honor of DEA agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena, who died in the line of duty in 1985. Last year was the first year that IMS participated in the week.

“Part of my job is specializing in prevention awareness and I spend a lot of time in the class room, and I thought this was a fun idea to get the kids into the community,” said Marla Mitchell, the Mercer Island Youth and Family Services counselor assigned to IMS.

She said the leadership students, all in eighth grade, planned the week and different events for students at each day’s lunch period.

“They run the whole thing,” said Mitchell of the 25 students in the class. “They did announcements every morning, and Wednesday at lunch they organized the pledge poster. Students who signed the pledge got a red wrist band. To me the pledge is a really big deal.”

By signing the poster, students at IMS said they would be a positive role model for their peers, by making healthy choices and to stay away from illegal drugs and the illegal use of legal drugs.

“I’ve gotten a lot of positive feedback from students,” said Mitchell about the entire week. “I’m very pleased at the buy-in of the kids for Kiki’s story. It’s really perfect for the middle school.”

The biggest event of the week for the students was delivering tulip bulbs on Friday morning to various south end homes and businesses. Last year Mitchell said the students planted 200 bulbs around the school, but this year looked to add a community aspect to the project.

With five bulbs to a bag, for a total of 680 red tulip bulbs, students dropped them off on doorsteps with a note asking for the flowers to be planted in view of the street.

“We really want to see the streets paved in red,” said Mitchell.

For anyone driving on the south end next spring, look for those red tulips. They mean that IMS students are pledging to stay away from illegal drugs.