Information provided by County of San Benito. Lea este artículo en español aquí.
The 35th Annual Red Ribbon Run & Festival is on Saturday, October 18th from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. in front of the Veterans Memorial Building (649 San Benito Street) in Downtown Hollister. The event is in partnership with San Benito County Behavioral Health and the City of Hollister Parks and Recreation. It is one of the largest annual events in town, and kicks off locally the national Red Ribbon Week (October 23-31) campaign that encourages youth and their families to live drug free. Red Ribbon Campaign | Largest drug-use prevention campaign in the U.S.
This year’s theme is “Life is a Puzzle, Solve It Drug Free.” The highlights for this year’s local festivities are:
- Free 3K Fun Run for everyone interested in participating. No registration nor fees are
required this year. - More entertainment to enjoy including folklorico, hula, and face painting!
- Participants are encouraged to wear red to highlight the event’s theme color.
- The first 200 participants who check in on the day of the event will receive a swag bag.
- The first 200 participants who cross the finish line will receive a Red Ribbon medal.
- The festival will feature a free raffle prize giveaway every 15 minutes.
- There will be a dozen local agencies with their own giveaways.
- Festival will feature local, small business food vendors.
In addition to the October 18th event, there are shirts, art, and classroom door contests happening now and throughout the month to encourage students to express in creative ways how they choose to live drug free.
San Benito County Office of Education, Hollister School District, and San Benito County
Behavioral Health’s PATHS Program are organizing lunchtime activities at local schools on October 27 – October 29th to help spread the Red Ribbon message. PATHS stands for
Promoting Access Trust and Healthy Boundaries in School and is a school-based service that supports students to develop skills that lead to improved emotional wellbeing and positive behaviors.
San Benito County Office of Education will celebrate Red Ribbon Month 2025 with a variety of engaging and educational activities aimed at promoting a drug-free lifestyle. Kicking off the festivities is the Red Ribbon Door Decorating Contest, open to all TK–5th grade classrooms across the county. The celebration continues with school visits from WonderWoofs and Go Green BMX Riders as well as Ray Lozano speaking to middle and high school students. The highlight of the week is a Town Hall event on October 28th from 5–7 PM at the Community Foundation Epicenter, featuring nationally recognized prevention specialist Ray Lozano, who will speak on the dangers of fentanyl and vaping. Free Narcan training and kits will be available, and all San Benito County parents are encouraged to attend.