A Red Ribbon Week celebration was held to honor Lee County’s Drug Free Kids Wednesday night at the Lee County Education Center.

Dozens of students were honored for their efforts toward a drug-free Lee with five named recipients of the three top honor awards.

The recipients of the Al Oerter Award for Academic and Athletic Excellence, which has boys and girls nominee categories, were Keon Anderson of Island Coast High School and Lucy Casto-Waters of Cape Coral High School.

The recipient of the Jim Nathan Leadership Award was Carson Mulvey of Dunbar High School.

The recipient of the Lee County Sheriff’s Office Service to Our Nation Award recipients were Adam Larochelle of Cypress Lake High School and Brittanie Wisniewski of Bonita Springs High School.

“These are kids that are engaged and successful in activities and academics that are positive behaviors used as a prevention for substance abuse,” said Mary Fischer, school board member and a member of the Lee County Coalition for a Drug-Free Southwest Florida’s board of directors of those nominated and those honored. “They are doing the things that are healthy and contribute positively to the community. Prevention is the key.”

She said the student athletes and artists were chosen by teachers and administrators and recommended to Executive Director Deborah Comella.

Comella said the nominations are reviewed by members of the community for the various awards. Cathy Oerter selects the Al Oerter Award recipients, Lee Health selects the Jim Nathan Award and a group from the Lee County Sheriff’s Office selects the Service of Our Nation Award.

The 19th annual Al Oerter Award for Academic and Athletic Excellence is named in memory of Al Oerter, a four-time Olympic gold medalist. The students awarded epitomize his philosophy of excellence in an individual sport, academics and commitment to community service and a drug-free lifestyle.

The Jim Nathan Leadership Award was created to honor an outstanding student leader in Lee County.

The 2021 Service to Our Nation Award is presented to a student with at least 12 months of service as a member of ROTC, or Explorers, and who has displayed extraordinary leadership skills, commitment to academic excellence, community and a drug free lifestyle.

“I think that it has helped the students because it has encouraged those activities and behaviors, which keep them on a positive path. They are involved in things that take time and energy that increase their social circles,” Fischer said. “The Red Ribbon Award and attention to this is a catalyst to get communities to educate youth and encourage participation in drug free activities.”

Fischer said the goal is to keep with their 2021 Red Ribbon theme, “Drug Free Looks Like Me.”

Fischer said the coalition was created by Nathan, previous CEO and president of Lee Health, in 1989.

“We have been trying to remind everybody to make daily contributions to their communities by doing the best they can be by living drug free,” Fischer said. “I have been with them since 2000. I worked with student services and was assigned to participate in the Drug House Odyssey. It’s great because the coalition is exactly what their name indicates. (It is) involved with over 20 different agencies in the community… the court system, law enforcement, hospital… they all partner with the Coalition to encourage positive drug free behavior.”

She said the Drug House Odyssey has been held for 30 years.

“I don’t think it would have lasted this long if it wasn’t a positive impact. It’s a whole community effort coming together to help youth stay healthy and occupied in a positive manner,” Fischer said.

With the pandemic, the Drug House Odyssey changed to a video format, which was provided to all of the schools last year.

Al Oerter Award for Academic and Athletic Excellence nominees:

Girls

Melissa Arciere (Bonita Springs High School)

Guiliana Carlini (Estero High School)

Baker (Lucy) Castro-Waters (Cape Coral High School) – Recipient

Julianne Cunard (Cypress Lake High School)

Ezarya Dale (Dunbar High School)

Courtney Dingerson (Ida S. Baker High School)

Heidi Kinsey (Fort Myers High School)

Genavieve Molloy (North Fort Myers High School)

Ashley Rodriguez (South Fort Myers High School)

Laci Roszell (Riverdale High School)

Stephanie Snyder (Mariner High School)

Jasmine Vasquez (Riverdale High School)

Al Oerter Award for Academic and Athletic Excellence

Boys

Keon Anderson (Island Coast High School) – Recipient

Carson Dougherty (South Fort Myers High School)

Paul Flores (Gateway High School)

Keelan Fort (Estero High School)

Jayden Franklin (Cape Coral High School)

Rowen Fricke (Riverdale High School)

Jacob Fritz (Ida S. Baker High School)

Caden Jakacki (Mariner High School)

Ivan Marin-Padilla (Dunbar High School)

Roland Colsen Palmer (Fort Myers High School)

Nekhi Perry (North Fort Myers High School)

William Perry (Bonita Springs High School)

Vincent Stoll (Cypress Lake High School)

Jim Nathan Leadership Award

Savannah Braun (Mariner High School)

Quinn Campbell (Fort Myers High School)

Gabrielle Ceurvels (Bonita Springs High School)

Annabel Crater (Cypress Lake High School)

Ayin Cruz (Gateway High School)

Alexandra Davidson (North Fort Myers High School)

Hayden Germanis (Estero High School)

Kenise Jackson (Dunbar High School)

Natalee Jones (Cape Coral High School)

Carson Mulvey (Dunbar High School) – Recipient

Jose Manuel Roa (Riverdale High School)

Deylysia Smart (East Lee County High School)

Kaiden Wells (Mariner High School)

Lee County Sheriff’s Office Service to Our Nation Award

Austin Arthur (Estero High School)

Jacob Bilancione (Cape Coral High School)

Abigail Fleuridor (Dunbar High School)

Alexis Gifford (Mariner High School)

Adam Larochelle (Cypress Lake High School) – Recipient

Nancy Morales (South Fort Myers High School)

Benjamin Records (Fort Myers High School)

Justin Rodriguez (Gateway High School)

Arthur Smith, Jr. (East Lee County High School)

Morgan Thynes (Ida S. Baker High School)

Brittanie Wisniewski (Bonita Springs High School) – Recipient

Ryan Ziegler (North Fort Myers High School)