Just Say No Rally

Nancy Reagan promoting
Just Say No

     Lately it has been a tradition for a president's wife to take up a campain or promote an awareness while her husband is leading our country.  Barabara Bush supported literacy, Pat Nixon highlighted volunteering, Betty Ford was for women's rights and our current First Lady, Michelle Obama advocates for childhood obesity.  Since I grew up in the 1980's we heard a lot about Nancy Reagan's campain against drugs with her slogan "Just Say No!" 

    

    

Every time you turned on a television set there would be an anti-drug commercial. 

                                                  One that would focus on the parent:

One that would focus on the teens:

And one that focused on everyone

and pretty much a favorite:

These commercials, and a few others, were drilled into our heads in between our favorite shows and MTV music video's.  Schools pumped into our brains the risks and dangers of using drugs and tobacco.  Everyone knew the phrase "Just Say No".

     It was the spring of 1988.  I was 11 years old and in the 6th grade at St. Thomas Aquinas.  I was the only kid in my neighborhood that went to a private school.  The local public school, Weiss Elementary, was planning to participate in a "Just Say No Rally" on Ojibway Island in Sagianw.  My best friend Sara asked her teacher if I could come with them to participate in the rally.  The teacher gave me the okay to attend as along as my mom signed the permission slip, which she did. 

     We boarded the yellow Saginaw Township Bus and made our way into downtown Saginaw for a brief march.  The bus dropped us off at Hoyt Park on Washtington Ave.  Different school gathered in their groups to line up for the march to Objibway Island.  Green Balloons and white T-shirts with the phrase "Just Say No" were handed out and each school made up their own banner.   We had to think of a cheer to yell out as we marched south onto Ezra Rust Dr (Court St after you cross over the Saginaw River) and entered the island.   The chant we came up with was "JUST SAY NO - NO!"  We repeated it over and over.  One school a head of us had a little ditty with a side step and a spin to their marching chant.  I guess we weren't that creative. 

From L. to R:  Tammy V., Me, Danny F., Sarah B.
and in front my best friend Sara W.

On our march from L. to R.  Sara W., Kelly, unknown, unknown (Matt I think his name was), unknown

     We finally arrived on the island and made our way to the north side where a bandstand was set up for motivational speakers and local bands to play.  We found our wooden steak pushed into the ground with a sign on it saying Weiss Elementary School for our group to be located at.  We danced, sang, and listened to the speakers.  It was a fun time.  A lot of media showed up like WNEM TV News 5 and a popular radio station WIOG 102.5 with their giant jambox.  We were briefly shown on the news marching down the street and we all felt like we were celebrities being shown on TV.   

On Ojibway Island, stage is on the right side of the pic

WIOG 102.5 Giant Jambox - a popular gimmick among the younger crowd.

     Nancy Reagan's effort to promote the hazzards of drug abuse still linger on today.  Most people who were around in that time era of the 1980's remember the phrase well - "Just Say No".