To the editor:

Project Purple Week begins in Portsmouth on Saturday, Jan. 20, and runs until Jan. 27, but starting now you can get in on the action. 

Imagine Portsmouth decked out in purple bows on the Portsmouth Police Department cars, purple bows on all the Fire Department engines, house after house, church after church, all the schools, all school buses, the Town Hall, the library, Town Council chambers, businesses and Common Fence Point Community Hall all lit up, and seeing purple ribbons and bows on every mailbox or door in the entire town! Portsmouth students will know what that means.

Project Purple Week is celebrated all over the country and all over Newport County. This marks the fourth year the Town of Portsmouth has gone all out to show our support for teens who have the courage to remain drug- and alcohol-free. And that is most of Portsmouth’s young people! Yes, it’s true and we need to show those young people this town is behind them and they deserve our praise and encouragement to keep making those smart life choices. that is what Project Purple and all those purple ribbons and bows are really all about.

Please show your support. Decorate your house’s front door and or mailbox with a purple ribbon or a bow, take a photo and post it on our Facebook page (Portsmouth Prevention Coalition) no later than Jan. 29 at 5 p.m., and you’ll be entered into our drawing for three entrees who will receive Project Purple T-shirts. All entrees will be entered into the county contest for movie tickets as well.

Eight-inch pull-bows will be available at Clements’ Marketplace on Saturday, Jan. 20, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Many other businesses and schools will have bows available for your child to bring home. Or, you can stop in and pick up for a donation of $1 to the Portsmouth Prevention Coalition to help us raise funds for our work in the community.

Project Purple is an initiative of The Herren Project, a non-profit foundation established by Portsmouth’s Chris Herren, former NBA basketball player, motivational speaker, author and sobriety advocate who assists individuals and families struggling with addiction through treatment navigation, education and mentoring. 

The concept was developed when Chris, who struggled with substance abuse throughout his basketball career, spoke at a local high school and the front row of students were wearing purple shirts. After Chris shared his story, one of the purple shirts raised her hand and stood up to speak. As snickering and laughter could be heard in the auditorium, the student said, "Thank you Mr. Herren for validating what we do. We are the sober students of this high school and each year we take a pledge to not use drugs or alcohol." 

Chris was captured by the courage it took to not only stand up and share the symbolism of the purple shirts, but was inspired to make a difference amongst adolescents across the United States.

More information can be found on the Portsmouth Prevention Coalition website (PortsmouthPrevention.org) and on the Portsmouth Prevention Coalition Facebook page. Show your support for Portsmouth’s youth who make the choice to remain drug- and alcohol-free. Get your purple on and let’s show our kids how much we support their good choices!

Ray D. Davis, coordinator

Portsmouth Prevention Coalition