P.A.S.A. celebrates drug-fee youth

From right to left is Ava Hess, Layla Kajfasz, and Ava Lewis who are all riding the train during the Perrysburg Alternative to Substance Abuse event in downtown Perrysburg Friday.

THE BLADE/Matt Thompson
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From right to left is Ava Hess, Layla Kajfasz, and Ava Lewis who are all riding the train during the Perrysburg Alternative to Substance Abuse event in downtown Perrysburg Friday.

Perrysburg High School students and local families celebrated drug free youth in downtown Perrysburg on Friday.

Perrysburg Alternative to Substance Abuse high schoolers wants youths to say no to drugs, but not candy.

There was live music from Cindy Slee and Aaron Keaster, miniature train rides for children, a basketball hoop, a YMCA Fun Bus, and face painting at Louisiana Avenue and Second Street, which was closed for the event.

The event was put on by the Perrysburg Alternative to Substance Abuse with help from Ft. Meigs YMCA, Downtown Perrysburg, Inc., PHS Teen Institute and PHS Art Club. It was funded with grants with the Ohio Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services. 

"We're a group of high school students that want to promote drug free and healthy living and we're celebrating putting up our sign," Taylor Jordan said, a Perrysburg High School senior.

A banner is hanging above Louisiana Avenue in downtown Perrysburg that says "Celebrating ABOVE," for students living above the influence. The Jordan teen and other PASA Teen Board members went around during school lunch asking students why they are drug free. The answers are written on the banner, which will remain up for the next week. 

Michelle Erford, coordinator for the Perrysburg Alternative to Substance Abuse, said that the Wood County Youth Survey showed that 70 percent of students are drug free and they wanted to celebrate that and let people know being drug free is the majority.

Contact Matt Thompson at: mthompson@theblade.com, 419-356-8786, or on Twitter at @mthompson25.