I'm Free 4 the Weekend

     Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse
     Santa Barbara, California
     Penny Jenkins, Executive Director
     805/963-1433

Over the last eight years, Santa Barbara has developed a strong tradition of
"Red Ribbon" activities for the month of October. In 1993, the Council on
Alcoholism and Drug Abuse (CADA) decided that children and the community
would celebrate a sober lifestyle more than once a year if an organized
event gave them the chance. As a result, the Council made plans to observe
"Alcohol Free Weekend," which traditionally kicks off Alcohol Awareness
Month in April.

When making plans for their first "Alcohol-Free Weekend," CADA made use of
Alcohol Awareness Month kits which each year are distributed by NCADD.
Included in the kits were descriptions of a program, originally developed by
the NCADD Affiliate in Providence, Rhode Island, whose creators had had
great success using the slogan "Free for the Weekend."

"We took their idea and ran with it," explains Lesley Painter, Director of
Special Projects.

In Santa Barbara the Red Ribbon Committee, which includes individuals from
25 private and public agencies, the "Fighting Back" Santa Barbara project of
CADA and the Seven Area South Coast Rotary Clubs, approached local
businesses and merchants with their proposal. "As a community service, we
asked them to offer students who had signed a pledge to remain drug and
alcohol-free for the weekend free or discounted merchandise and services."

More than 5,000 students signed the first "I'm Free 4 the Weekend" pledge in
1993; by 1996, this number exceeded 8,000. The students were welcomed by
more than 50 businesses where they received a lot of praise in addition to
the goodies they had been promised. The experience left everyone involved in
the program feeling like it was well worth doing on an annual basis.

A thousand more students signed the pledge the next year as word of the
event began spreading in the community and activities were added. The YMCA
offered more ambitious parties on Friday and Saturday nights for junior high
and middle school students respectively. Each party drew more than 1,000
kids from throughout the community. Live bands and DJs entertained them with
music; they also swam, played racquetball and participated in special
athletic events. Domino's Pizza, Free Birds Burritos, Jordano's, the
Coca-Cola Company and several bakeries were among those local businesses who
donated food and drink for events that lasted all night long.

"It was the best thing to happen for kids in all my years on the force,"
said one Santa Barbara police officer afterward.

Representatives of other community agencies shared in this enthusiasm. When
the Metropolitan Transit District learned that many students were not able
to get around town to take advantage of the plethora of weekend discounts
and activities, the agency provided free bus rides. Merchants who discounted
sales of their food and services also were delighted. As the owner of one
pizza parlor said, "It was our biggest weekend in history."

The number of activities and sponsors continue to snowball. Team members
from the University of California at Santa Barbara Gauchos hold basketball
techs. And now the most popular even is a tank where students can dunk their
favorite teachers and principals.

Once a community makes a commitment to get behind the `I'm Free for the
Weekend' concept, the basic elements of the program are simple to implement.
In the week prior to the event, youth services staff at CADA's "Fighting
Back" project collect pledges from students who must sign a contract if they
want to take part. The contract, printed in Spanish and English, must be
co-signed by a witness.

"The pledge process is interesting," notes Painter. "The same student who
will sign his or her own pledge quickly may pause before co-signing for a
friend. Our experience has shown that this process gives most students an
important opportunity to reflect on the nature of the promise they are
making."

Everyone who pledges receives two items: a non-removable wristband that
allows entry to sponsored events throughout the city and South County as
well as a "Freebies Card" that entitles them to at least one item from
participating businesses, who are numbered from 1 to 68. At Nail Buff,
business #58, "I'm Free 4 the Weekend" clients paid $2 less for manicures
than other customers. At Video Express, #40, they were given free rentals.
And at Guadalajara Restaurant, #14, drug and alcohol-free couples ate two
meals for the price of one. (Owners can exercise some control over the
giveaways by punching out the number once a person has availed him/herself
of an offer.)

Generic "I'm Free 4 the Weekend" kits that can be adapted for use in other
communities have now been developed by CADA. The kits contain camera ready
art work for poster and fliers, sample pledges, wristbands and a "Freebie
Card." To purchase a kit, or for additional information about the program,
call or write to Lesley Painter at CADA, P.O. Box 28, Santa Barbara, CA,
93102..

(revised 1/97)