A Cape, a Community, and 500 Red Bows: Town of Babylon Youth Find Their Voices at Red Ribbon Town Hall

Students, prevention coalitions, elected officials, and community partners come together for an extraordinary evening celebrating youth, creativity, and the power of connection. A Room Full of SUPERHEROS!

Sometimes the most meaningful moments of an event aren't the ones written into the program. Sometimes they happen quietly, before the first speaker ever takes the stage.

Subscribe

As I arrived at Babylon Town Hall for our annual Red Ribbon Town Hall, the familiar excitement of last-minute preparations was already underway.

One of our newest staff members, Marc Soto, was working alongside Gabriela Montes from Councilman Terence McSweeney's office, making sure our PowerPoint presentation and a special video created by the Amityville high school's Broadcasting Club were ready to run seamlessly.

Nearby, Maddy Simmons, vice president of our Board of Directors, was carefully arranging the hospitality table, making sure everything looked beautiful and welcoming.

Our behind-the-scenes organizer, Sarah Cahill, who had worked tirelessly to make sure the program was ready, was unexpectedly tending to a sick child. As always, we adjusted, looked out for one another, and kept moving forward. Vanessa Probst, our Lindy Youth Coalition President came by to hand out red ribbon pins and support. True leadership.

That's what community looks like.

As students from Amityville arrived with their advisors and administrators, including Principal, Dr. John Cardone, Assistant Principal Ms. Rodriguez and Jennifer Lopez, an administrator overseeing special education, the room began filling with energy.

The steppers were ready. The musicians were preparing their instruments. Students were excited, and the anticipation was building.

Then something happened that, for me, defined the entire evening.

Maleek Solomon, president of our newly formed Rising Tide Amityville Youth Coalition, walked over and asked me a simple question.

"Would you like to wear a cape?"

Our Red Ribbon theme this year was Be a Superhero, Stay Drug Free!, recognizing that ordinary people can make extraordinary differences in their communities.

But that cape meant something much more to me.

In that moment, I realized that Maleek saw me as someone worthy of wearing it. Perhaps, more importantly, he saw me as one of the trusted adults in his life.

And isn't that what this work is really about?

Building relationships. Earning trust. Creating spaces where young people feel supported, valued, and empowered to become everything they are capable of becoming.

Before the program had even begun, I knew the evening was already a success.

Giving Youth a Voice, in Every Language of Expression

What followed was an extraordinary celebration of youth voices.

Our featured youth leaders, Abigail Brown, Autumn Constance, and Maleek Solomon, worked together to plan and emcee the evening, demonstrating the leadership, enthusiasm, and commitment that make our youth coalitions so meaningful.

Perhaps the greatest demonstration of youth empowerment wasn't simply what the students said on stage, but the fact that they had helped create the evening itself. They planned the program, organized its message, and confidently guided a room filled with adults through a celebration of youth voices.

And what beautiful voices they were.

Amityville student Naomi Chavez Duran opened with the National Anthem, while Rose Bolane shared a spoken poem she wrote that reminded us of the power of personal expression.

The Amityville High School Step Team brought energy, rhythm, and unity to the room, communicating through movement and powerful cadences.

The Music Honor Society performed a beautiful rendition of Bésame Mucho, a musical tribute to the spirit of Hispanic Heritage Month conducted by teacher Bianca Ferante.

Each performance carried its own message, but collectively, they reminded us of something important:

Young people don't need adults to give them a voice. They need adults willing to listen.

And communication doesn't always require a microphone.

In preparation for Red Ribbon Week, more than 500 red bows were distributed to schools throughout our communities. They were proudly displayed along roadways, throughout Town Hall, and in public spaces, creating a visible message of unity.

A red bow tied to a fence, a ribbon displayed on a building, or a small red ribbon pin worn on someone's lapel may seem like a simple gesture.

But each one communicates something.

It says, "I stand with you."

It says, "I care about my community."

It says, "I believe our young people deserve a healthy, safe future."

Not everyone is comfortable standing at a podium. Not everyone writes poetry, sings, dances, or speaks before a crowd.

But everyone has something to contribute.

Whether through words, music, movement, or the simple act of displaying a red ribbon, there is a place for everyone in this conversation.

That may be one of the most powerful lessons of Red Ribbon Week.

Stronger Together Across the Town of Babylon

This year's Town Hall was a wonderful example of what happens when prevention coalitions, schools, local government, law enforcement, and community organizations work together.

Town of Babylon Cares, including Lindy Cares, joined with our prevention partners from the Deer Park Drug Prevention Coalition, Copiague Community Cares, Concerned Citizens of Wyandanch (CCWA), and the Rising Tide Amityville Youth Coalition to demonstrate the strength of working collaboratively.

Each coalition brings its own unique perspective, experiences, and understanding of the community it serves. Together, we share resources, build relationships, and create opportunities that extend beyond the boundaries of any one neighborhood or school district.

Our community partners included the Suffolk County Police Department, Suffolk County Sheriff's Office, Town of Babylon, Hope For Youth, Seafield, Beacon Family Wellness Center, the Army National Guard, and Kids Need More.

We were especially grateful to have officers from the Suffolk County Police Department's First Precinct join us, demonstrating their ongoing commitment to supporting young people and strengthening relationships within our communities.

We also appreciated the generous support of The Little Flower Shop of Lindenhurst, our event sponsor.

The evening began with a Color Guard presentation by Boy Scout Troop 1421 and a blessing offered by Deacon Kerri Wilmer of St. John Lutheran Church, with clergy from across the community welcomed to participate.

Together, these contributions represented something much bigger than a single evening's program.

They represented a community of people who understand that prevention is a shared responsibility.

When Community Leaders Show Up, It Matters

Throughout the evening, we were honored by the presence and support of elected officials and community leaders who took time from their busy schedules to stand alongside our youth.

Among those recognized in our program were Town of Babylon Supervisor Rich Schaffer, Councilman Terence McSweeney, Suffolk County Legislators R.J. Renna and Jason Richberg, Assemblymen Kwani O'Pharrow and Michael Durso, and Suffolk County Sheriff Errol D. Toulon.

We also welcomed, Mayor Michael W. O'Neil, Mayor Michael A. Lavorata, Amityville Trustee Roger Smith, Lindenhurst Trustee Doug Madlon .

Their presence sent an important message.

Our young people matter.

Their ideas matter.

Their futures matter.

And creating environments where they can thrive is a responsibility shared by all of us.

In a time when public conversations can sometimes seem divided, it was refreshing to see leaders, educators, law enforcement, community organizations, and young people come together around a common purpose.

We don't have to agree on everything to agree that every young person deserves the opportunity to reach their fullest potential.

The Real Superpower Is Connection

Red Ribbon Week began as a tribute to DEA Special Agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena, whose life was taken in 1985 while fighting drug trafficking.

Today, the red ribbon remains a symbol of our commitment to healthy, drug-free communities.

But prevention is about much more than telling young people what they should avoid.

It's about helping them discover what they have to look forward to.

It's about relationships, belonging, opportunity, confidence, and the understanding that their contributions matter.

Our young people did more than participate in a Town Hall.

They demonstrated leadership. They shared their talents. They supported one another. And they reminded the adults in the room why this work matters.

One young poet reminded me that some of life's most powerful lessons cannot be taught. They come from lived experience, from finding the courage to share those experiences, and from discovering that our stories have value.

As adults, we cannot manufacture that kind of authenticity.

But we can create environments where it is welcomed, respected, and celebrated.

That is the heart of prevention.

That is the work of our coalitions.

And that is what it means to create an environment in which everyone believes they can thrive.

Until Next Year

As we look forward to next year's Red Ribbon Town Hall, I am reminded that the true success of an evening like this isn't measured simply by how smoothly the presentations run or how many people attend.

It is measured by the relationships we strengthen, the voices we elevate, and the connections that continue long after the evening ends.

Keeping those lines of communication open across our schools, neighborhoods, villages, and community organizations is part of what makes the Town of Babylon such a special place to live and work.

To every student who planned, emceed, or performed, every advisor who encouraged them, every volunteer who worked behind the scenes, every community partner, every law enforcement officer, and every elected official who showed up, thank you.

You reminded us that building a stronger community isn't the responsibility of one person, one organization, or one generation.

It belongs to all of us.

And to Maleek Solomon, thank you for the cape.

I'll remember what it stood for long after Red Ribbon Week is over.