The 28th annual Red Ribbon March in St. Joseph County will kick off on Friday morning. At 9:30 a.m. a march will be held that will start at the Cultural Center in South Bend.

The march will travel down Lincoln Way and the turn onto Martin Luther King Junior Drive and then conclude at the Kroc Center.

At 10:30 a.m. a rally will be held at the Kroc Center. The morning long event is to raise awareness and educate about the adverse effects of drugs and the destruction it causes.

The St. Joseph County event is part of a larger campaign known as Red Ribbon Week, which will begin on the 23rd and conclude on the 31st.

Congress declared the first National Red Ribbon Week in 1988. It all started after Federal Drug Enforcement Agent Enrique Camarena was killed by a drug trafficker in 1985.

Since it started locally in the mid 1980's, more than 10,000 students and parents have joined their elected officials, church leaders, and staff from local organizations to celebrate the event and commit to a drug-free life.

On Friday, it is expected more than 500 children will be present. The first 300 people to show up will get a free  t-shirt and food.

Those who want to make it to the event but cannot are still able to get involved and sign the Red Ribbon Pledge.