IN PICTURES: CORAL SHORES STUDENTS DODGE THE HIGH DURING RED RIBBON WEEK

Dodge the high and tell drugs goodbye was the message during a Red Ribbon Week celebration at Coral Shores High School, which began Oct. 23 and ended on the morning Oct. 31. Red Ribbon Week is the nation’s largest and longest drug prevention campaign. Activities organized by student leaders included a dodgeball tournament, a rally and a little basketball knockout. Students dressed in red T-shirts gathered in a ribbon shape to close out the activities. Shyara Lara, activities director, and Wilmarie Lopez, counselor with the Westcare Guidance Care Center, assisted with the activities. The Elks Lodge in Tavernier, Pinfish Entertainment, Native Construction and Monroe County Education Coalition were among the sponsors. 

Participants enjoy a dodgeball tournament put on by the student leadership in charge of the Red Ribbon Week activities at Coral Shores High School. Photos by JIM McCARTHY/Keys Weekly.
Participants enjoy a dodgeball tournament put on by the student leadership in charge of the Red Ribbon Week activities at Coral Shores High School. Photos by JIM McCARTHY/Keys Weekly.
Jim McCarthy
Jim McCarthy is one of the many Western New Yorkers who escaped the snow and frigid temperatures for warm living by the water. A former crime & court reporter and city editor for two Western New York newspapers, Jim has been honing his craft since he graduated from St. Bonaventure University in 2014. In his 4-plus years in the Keys, Jim has enjoyed connecting with the community. “One of my college professors would always preach to be curious,” he said. “Behind every person is a story that’s unique to them, and one worth telling. As writers, we are the ones who paint the pictures in the readers minds of the emotions, the struggles and the triumphs.” Jim is past president of the Key Largo Sunset Rotary Club, which is composed of energetic members who serve the community’s youth and older populations. Jim is a sports fanatic who loves to watch football, hockey, mixed martial arts and golf. He also enjoys time with family and his new baby boy, Lucas, who arrived Oct. 4, 2022.