A Wareham Middle School teacher brought together a variety of community groups to share an important message with students on Wednesday night.

“Kids and their families need to know that there are so many healthy alternatives out there to keep them away from drugs,” said Deanna Semple, organizer of the 2nd annual Red Ribbon Awareness Night. Held at Decas Elementary School, the event coincided with Red Ribbon Week, a national campaign against drug abuse, set for Oct. 23-31.

Semple said early education is key to preventing drug abuse and Red Ribbon Night showcased many ways kids could spend their time instead of experimenting with drugs.

Some groups in attendance included the Wareham Tigers Pop Warner football league, the Wareham Police Department, the Gleason Family YMCA, the Wareham Department of Natural Resources, the Wareham Public Schools Office of Beyond School Time, the Wildlands Trust, Cape Cod Collectibles and the Onset Bay Association.

Semple said she hoped families walked away from the night with plenty of activities to try, such as gymnastics, hiking, dancing, or volunteering.

“The idea is that when kids are busy doing positive things, it keeps them from getting mixed up with negative things,” said Semple.