Rain cancels march but ‘Say No to Drugs’ message shines through in rally

Although the rain prevented the Riverhead Community Awareness Program march through downtown Riverhead today, hundreds of Pulaski Street Elementary School students, staff and guests rallied in the auditorium with one loud and clear message: “Say No to Drugs.”

A community tradition of 33 years, the annual event — rained on only a handful of times, organizers said — once again assembled fifth and sixth grade students, school officials, elected officials and others to talk about the importance of remaining alcohol- and drug-free.

“It is a privilege to work with CAP and I want to say thank you to CAP for literally saving the lives of students,” Riverhead Central School District Superintendent Dr. Aurelia Henriquez

Riverhead CAP, a nonprofit organization, provides drug and alcohol prevention, education and counseling programs to the district. The two-year prevention program at Pulaski Street School serves over 800 fifth and sixth graders and culminates with the “Say No to Drugs March” every June.

At the event today, students — with white T-shirts saying “Drug Free Body” in bright, red lettering — proudly displayed dozens of hand-written signs saying “No more drugs in our world,” “Just Say No” and “Thank you CAP.”

The high school band opened the rally, followed by an introduction from the school’s principal, Dave Densieski, and speeches by State Senator Ken LaValle, Assemblyman Anthony Palumbo, Town Supervisor Laura Jens-Smith, school board president Greg Meyer, Henriquez, and Suffolk County Assistant district attorney Saam Jalayer and

“Drugs affect everyone, people of all walks of life,” Assemblyman Anthony Palumbo said explaining how a simple back pain can make someone get addicted. “We have to be aware and just say no.”

Jens-Smith presented Riverhead CAP executive director Felicia Scocozza with a special proclamation designating today as “Say No To Drugs Day” to the applause of the excited audience.

“The choices that you make, about what you do, where you go, who you spend time with and how you take care of your body, are all shaping who you are now and who you want to be in the future,” Jens-Smith said.”Listen to that tiny little voice inside of you that knows what’s best for you and encourages you to follow your dream and find your calling.”

Sgt. Sean Cassidy of the N.Y. National Guard Counterdrug Task Force was the guest of honor and keynote speaker.

Cassidy, a member of the National Guard for five years, has worked as a civil operations specialist in the counterdrug task force for the past two years. He is also a CAP volunteer for the Pulaski Street Prevention Education Program and has provided technical assistance to the Riverhead Community Coalition for Safe and Drug-Free Youth since 2016.

“I joined the Counterdrug Task Force to make a difference,” Cassidy said. “Out of everything I’ve done on Counterdrug, participating in the Pulaski program and being asked to lead the CAP march have been the most rewarding, even if it changes only one life.”

“Surround yourself with the right people, and as you grow use the tools and lessons taught here at Pulaski Street and be a positive role model for your peers, don’t let negative peer pressure and stress stop you, no matter how hard,” Cassidy said to the rapt audience.

“The lessons learned here in Riverhead don’t have to stay here in Riverhead. Each and every one of you can change the lives of those around you. Be the one people look up to, set an example for them to follow, and never stop striving to be a better person and help those around you be better.”

He then went on to explain how his drill seargent at basic training — someone who had “sculpted them” through a 16-week-long, physically and emotionally difficult boot-camp style training that all who join the army have to go through — gave them a final piece of advice that has accompanied him since then and that he now shared with Pulaski Street School students: “Be a good person.”

“Only four words that we have to live by,” he said. “I challenge you, in good times and hard times, above all else, to be a good person.”

LaValle, who’s attended every CAP march for the last 33 years and was sporting a cane because he said he had done leg presses at the gym and “nobody over the age of 20 should be doing those,” said that “young people have to say no to drugs.”

“I’ve been doing this for a long time and I’m still hearing that many people are dying, life over, it has to stop,” he said.

Jalayer, who has participated in the march for the last six years, said that “staying active is key.”

“Be good at something and hold on to that, empower yourselves and no matter what you do, have confidence in yourself,” he said. “Hold on to that confidence, it is the leverage you need to say no.”

“We have to bring everyone together and, if we can connect with a kid that is wavering, that is good,” Jalayer said after the event.

Henriquez said that the school received over 400 essays from students for a contest about the CAP two-year life skills program and what they have learned from it. The winner of the contest was fifth-grader Owen Karlson, who won a Tanger Outlets gift card.

“I wrote about free strategies CAP taught us and how they can help us to say no,” he said. “I explained how my friend wanted to play an inappropriate video game, but I changed the subject and we played a different video game.”

After the event was over, members of the Riverhead Loyal Order of Moose Lodge served up lunch to the students, a tradition for the past dozen years.