Spicewood student seeks Red Ribbon contest votes

November 15, 2012, 7:45 pm by Adam Troxtell

Spicewood Elementary fifth grader Samantha Nesrsta, far right, has put her school in the national spotlight by entering a competition hosted by the Red Ribbon Campaign, an organization that challenges kids to maintain lives free from the influence of drugs.

Red Ribbon week is observed at schools across the nation to promote a life free from harmful drugs, but a Spicewood Elementary student is taking it a step further by entering a national photo contest with the help of her whole family.

Fifth grader Samantha Nesrsta submitted a photo of the door to her family’s home decked out in red ribbons to the Red Ribbon Campaign’s "It’s up to me to be drug free” national contest.

Nesrsta’s photo is up against hundreds of others from across the country seeking votes from the general public. One submission from each of the 10 regions that receives the most votes will win an iPad 2 and $1,000 for their school district. Nesrsta’s photo is in Region 6.

"We do a lot of things for the Red Ribbon Campaign on campus, but one reason I like this competition is it gets the child’s parents involved,” Cathy Ellis, Spicewood Elementary counselor, said.