Drug-Free World Foundation Brings Cause to Dominican Day Parade

A drug-free Dominican Republic is the dream of a team of volunteers who marched through streets of New York City during annual celebration.

Thousands lined the streets of New York City from 37th to 52nd street on Avenue of Americas August 9 for the 34th annual Dominican Day Parade. Midtown Manhattan resonated with the irresistible rhythms of Dominican music and the enticing aroma of its cuisine in the city called home by more than 670,000 Dominicans. Prominent among the more than 7,500 marching was the Foundation for a Drug-Free World, an organization committed to eradicating drug abuse in the island nation.

 

Increased drug trafficking through the Caribbean is a major concern for the Dominican Republic. Children are especially at risk, as traffickers ensnare them with offers of free drugs, hooking them into becoming addicts and then recruiting them as “mules” to move their supplies. The Foundation for a Drug-Free World is hard at work in the Dominican Republic, training educators and community groups in the Truth About Drugs curriculum to help them get to the youth before criminal elements can reach them.

Foundation for a Drug Free World volunteers proudly took their place in the parade right at the front of the line, behind Governor Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio. With flags unfurled, the volunteers were honored to participate in the annual occasion to mark their commitment to a Drug-Free Dominican Republic.