KAILUA, ISLAND OF OAHU, Hawaii -- KAILUA, HAWAII--Though skies were overcast and the rain was coming down hard, the inclement weather didn't seem to dampen the children's spirits at Kailua Elementary School's first ever Drug Free Career Day Feb. 14 - thanks to three Marines from MCB Hawaii, Kaneohe Bay, who were there to spread a little sunshine, along with an important message.
Two Marines from the Marine Forces Pacific Band, Sgt. Gary Gilbert, a saxophonist from Gettysburg, Pa., and Sgt. Martha Johnson, a flutist from Westminster, Md., joined Master Sgt. Juan Rivera, the Headquarters Bn. operations chief and native of Chicago, to support the school's effort in educating its students on the importance of maintaining a drug-free lifestyle.
"It is vital that we instill in the children when they are young an understanding of the dangers of illegal drugs," said Lanelle Hibbs, a native of Kaneohe and the principal of Kailua Elementary. "There is no better spokesperson for this type of issue than the Marine Corps.
The kids all respect Marines because they know the Marines are the people who protect them, and for the Marines to come to our school and pass on the message of the importance of being drug free is really a positive reinforcement."
The three K-Bay Marines were also joined by members of the local fire and police departments, as well other members of the community, including veterinarians, nurses, and martial arts instructors. But it was the Marines who seemed to steal the show.
"To get the kind of reception from the kids that we did gave me a good feeling," said Rivera, referring to the ovation the Marines received when they took center stage. "They made us feel like celebrities, but really we are just Marines, doing the right thing for the right reasons. The Marine Corps isn't just about what happens inside the gates of the base. We are deeply committed to the community as well."
Roselani Potts, an educational assistant at Kailua Elementary from Kailua, Hawaii, said she couldn't agree more.
"The Marines were treated like rock stars here," said Potts. "The kids really look up to them, and take to heart what the Marines say. Events like this wouldn't be possible without the continued support of the Marine Corps.
"I can't tell you how many times they have supported us, and the children of Kailua. I don't think the Marine Corps gets enough credit for all they do for the community. But, I can tell you this, the parents, students and teachers here know."
One parent who can vouch for that is Betty Ross, a registered nurse from Kailua whose son Webster, 10, is a fifth grader at the school.
"As a parent it means a lot to me to have the Marine Corps come here and deliver a positive message on the importance of being drug free," said Ross. "To see people face to face who've accomplished so much with their lives by being drug free, such as the Marines, brings the issue a little closer to home for the kids. They understand that to be a Marine you have to be drug free - to be anything successful in life you have to be drug free."
For their part, Rivera, Gilbert and Johnson said they were just glad to help.
"As Marines, we have a responsibility to be role models for children," said Johnson. "If we touched just one child's life today, and kept that child from giving in to peer pressure to try drugs, then it was all worth it."
"I know it sounds like a clich," added Gilbert, "but the children really are our future. What we are doing is giving them a strong foundation so they have the knowledge and strength to say no to drugs."
That message didn't seem to be lost on the students during Drug Free Day.
"Drug's are bad," said Kayla, 6, a first grader at Kailua Elementary, who, though not quite sure how to spell her last name, seemed to have little trouble with what the Marines were trying to spell out for her. "Marines don't do drugs. I like my school, my friends, my teachers and the Marines. We don't do drugs, ever, ever, never."