EASTON, MD
VFW Post 5118 recently donated $5,000 to support Talbot Goes Purple, a substance use prevention program in Talbot County.
Talbot County Sheriff Joe Gamble founded Talbot Goes Purple (TGP) in 2016. Since then, the program has spread across the state while continuing in Talbot County, with a focus on students in grades 5-12.
VFW Post 5118 has supported TGP and its drug education efforts since the start.
“VFW has generously donated to us since we started Talbot Goes Purple, allowing us to continue our educational efforts within the community, and particularly with our students,” said Gamble. “Thanks to our supporters like the VFW, we’ve brought prevention programming, activities and assemblies into the schools through our continued partnerships. We really could not do this without them.”
Last year’s projects within the schools included students participating in TGP’s daily educational messages and learning about prevention with Sterlen Barr, CEO of Rapping About Prevention (RAP). In October, TGP supported a school-wide poster contest for Red Ribbon Week. November saw elementary students collaborating on a gratitude mosaic and in December, students worked on ornaments that hung on the TGP Christmas Tree at the Talbot County Courthouse.
In February, schools participated took part in Random Acts of Kindness Week, with notes of kindness spread around local schools. In March, students completed projects that highlighted the science of substances and hosted a health fair at the Easton Volunteer Fire Department. Activities also focused on National Wellness Week, which is part of the Herren Project on which TGP’s programming is based as it includes evidence-informed prevention activities designed by clinicians and school counselors.
Students also learned about the dangers of impaired driving with a variety of activities with Madison Elliott with TCPS, who is the TGP club advisor and liaison. The school year closed out with a crash car at Easton High School along with student drug-free pledges; middle school educational games and activities; and club lunches. TGP’s in-school activities are sponsored by Spring & Associates.
As a component fund of Mid-Shore Community Foundation, another partner since the start, all donations are tax-deductible. Anyone interested in supporting TGP can visit Mid-Shore’s website at mscf.org.
Talbot Goes Purple is a substance use prevention initiative geared toward helping kids stand up against substance abuse. Now entering year seven, the initiative helps young people learn that they do not need substances to meet life’s challenges. Talbot Goes Purple includes school-based student clubs, outreach and education activities, and community engagement events.
An initiative from the Talbot County Sheriff’s Office and Tidewater Rotary, in partnership with Talbot County Public Schools, Saints Peter & Paul School and the Mid-Shore Community Foundation, Talbot Goes Purple empowers our youth and our community to ‘Go Purple’ as a sign of taking a stand against substance abuse.
More information about Talbot Goes Purple is available at www.talbotgoespurple.org. Find TGP on Facebook @TalbotGoesPurple or contact us at talbotgoespurple@gmail.com.
Talbot Goes Purple is a component fund of the Mid-Shore Community Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization – donations to which are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.
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Members of VFW Post 5118 present a $5,000 check to Talbot County Sheriff Joe Gamble. Pictured are Post Commander Ron Cheezum, Senior Vice Commander Kenley Timms, Charity Chairman Brian Sturgis, Junior Vice Chairman Preston Younker, Chaplin Fred Bahr with members of Post 5118.