Foundation For A Drug-Free World Honors Ny Community Leaders As ‘Drug-Free Heroes’

International foundation launches “Truth About Synthetic Drugs” campaign at 8th Annual Drug-Free Heroes Awards Gala

NEW YORK – June 15, 2015 – With drug use at alarming levels in our schools—60 percent of high school students and 32 percent of middle school students say that students keep, use or sell drugs on their school grounds*—a local organization is working to honor the everyday heroes that are fighting the drug scourge. The Foundation for a Drug-Free World of The Americas Chapter hosted its 8th Annual Drug-Free Heroes Awards Gala Thursday at the Theatre of the Church of Scientology in Manhattan. Held in honor of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, the Chapter honored community leaders and officials who are making a difference in drug education and awareness in the greater New York area. The foundation also launched a new educational property called “The Truth About Synthetic Drugs” to combat the national emergency on Synthetic Marijuana. With more than 2000 emergency calls related to the use of synthetic marijuana made since the beginning of 2015 throughout the nation, four times as many calls than the same period of time last year, educators, parents and teens can now download free booklets at drugfreeworld.org to fight its continual spread.

2015 Drug Free Hero Awardees include Frank Greenagel of Pennsylvania Army National Guard; Dr. Gesner Noel, D. Min. of Eglise Baptiste Nouvelle Naissance; Matt Carney of Cove Prep; Tanya Duhaney of NYPD Community Affairs; Bishop Dr. Lubin Moise, Sr. of Mt. Sinai Worship Center, Inc., Lic. Carlos M. Perez Gonzalez of the National Council of Drugs of the Dominican Republic; Vernon House, Jr. of NYPD School Safety Division; Karen Lundgard of Girl Scouts of Greater NY, Troy Dixon of NYC Housing Authority; Charles McKenley of the Children’s Village; Ruben Mojica of Bronx Regional High School; Kristen Wagner of Directions for our Youth; Nacumba Moore of ASA College; and Glenda Cintron of NYPD School Safety Division; Dr. Marcelo Rodriguez of the National Council of Drugs of the Dominican Republic; and the Puerto Rico Dental Association received a Sponsorship Award.

Special guest speakers included Police Officer Charles Mack of the New York City Police Department and Dr. Fidias Aristy, President of the Dominican Republic National Council of Drugs. The foundation showcased proclamations from New York City Public Advocate Letitia A. James, Senator Toby Ann Stavisky, Senator Brad Hoylman, Senator Leroy Comrie, and Asst. Speaker Felix Oritz; Amanda Mason, Miss New York 2013 performed as a celebrity vocalist and the foundation awarded her with the new Drug Free Ambassador Award for her Middle School Movement program, a program in which she speaks about alcohol and illicit drug abuse in schools throughout the nation; Meghan Fialkoff, founder and executive director of the Americas Chapter of the Foundation for a Drug-Free World was mistress of ceremonies while Dr. Bernard Fialkoff, President of the Americas Chapter, Brielle Takacs, Co-Director of the Bergen County Chapter of the Foundation for a Drug Free World and Sergeant James Clarke of the New York City Police Department presented the Drug Free Hero Awards.

For more information, please contact Meghan Fialkoff at DrugFreeWorldNY@gmail.com or visit www.drugfreeworld.org (international web site) and www.foundationforadrugfreeworldnewyorkchapter.org (local web site).

Video link: https://youtu.be/FHDKHKixKdY

ABOUT THE FOUNDATION FOR A DRUG-FREE WORLD:

The Foundation for a Drug-Free World, www.drugfreeworld.org, is a nonprofit public benefit corporation that empowers youth and adults with factual information about drugs so they can make informed decisions and live drug-free. Internationally, through a worldwide network of volunteers and working with more than 800 police, government, and community partners and alliances, 62 million educational booklets have been distributed, tens of thousands of drug awareness events have been held, and public service announcements have reached more than 260 million viewers in 123 countries.

Logo: http://www.getnews.info/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/1434366113.jpeg

Media Contact
Company Name: FOUNDATION FOR A DRUG-FREE WORLD
Contact Person: Meghan Fialkoff
Email: DrugFreeWorldNY@gmail.com
Phone: 516 637 7645
Address:56-03 214th Street #2
City: Bayside
State: NY
Country: United States
Website: www.drugfreeworld.org

ReleaseID: 503553

Source: GetNews