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"ONE PERSON CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE"

Enrique Camarena never asked to be a hero. All he ever wanted was a chance to make a difference, a chance to somehow help others. But growing up in a poor barrio in Mexico, Kiki must have wondered if he would get those chances.

When Kiki was nine years old, his family moved to the United States. Kiki worked with the rest of his family in the fields. As he picked peaches and plums, Kiki watched other kids head for school, and he often wondered what it would be like to have a seat on the bus or a seat in a real classroom.

Kiki finally got the chance to go to school, and he became a good student. In high school, he played on the football and basketball teams. He worked on the yearbook. He was even voted "Best All Around Senior".

When Kiki graduated from high school he made a big decision. He saw that his friends were headed for trouble, and Kiki could have followed them. Instead, he worked his way through college and earned a degree in criminal justice.

Kiki served in the Marine Corps. Then he became a fireman, and finally a policeman! And when he saw many of his friends get into trouble because of drugs, he joined the DEA. DEA stands for Drug Enforcement Administration. It's our government's special police force which works to keep drugs from coming into this country.

Kiki knew something had to be done to stop drugs and to help the people he cared about. His mother knew that his work could be very dangerous, and she even tried to talk him out of it. "No", he told her, "even if I'm only one person, I can make a difference."

His mother was right. Kiki's work was often dangerous, and it was lonely too. Old friends turned against him. But Kiki kept on with his fight against drugs.

He was such a good agent that he was sent to work undercover in Mexico. For weeks, Kiki lived among the drug lords. He gathered information and evidence. Just when his work was almost finished, the drug dealers found out who he really was. They kidnapped him. They tortured him. And they killed him. After a month, his body was discovered and returned home to his family.

Kiki gave his life in the fight against drugs. He gave his life trying to help others. To honor Kiki, his family and friends wore red ribbons. As his story spread across the country, others began to wear ribbons too. Now, every year millions of Americans celebrate Red Ribbon Week (October 23rd-31st) to remember Kiki and to take a stand - just as he did - against illegal drugs. Kiki set an example for all of us. He showed us how one person can change things. And he became a hero. All Kiki wanted to do was make a difference. We hope somewhere, somehow, he can see what a difference he's still making today.

"The Red Ribbon, A Story of Hope", storybook is dedicated to Kiki. It is about people who learn that they can solve problems when they work together, and that one by one they can make a difference. Kiki would have liked that.

The Elks Fully Support this fine DEA Agent, who gave the ultimate sacrifice, in the fight against Drugs. Inspired by, and Dedicated to, Agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena, the Elks began their Annual Camarena Award to a Law Enforcement Officer and the Starfish Award to an Elk Member. These awards are given to the one person that continues to help in the fight against Drugs in their Communities. Below, you will find more information regarding the Annual Camarena Award presented to a Law Enforcement Officer for his/her Dedication to rid Drugs from our Communities.

2005 ELKS' CAMARENA AWARD

Each Year the Elks sponsor the Camarena Award to a Law Enforcement Officer that has displayed "above and beyond the Call of Duty" towards Drug & Alcohol Education in their Communities.  This award is in honor of Enrique "Kiki" Camarena, in that his vision was "that one person can make a difference".  The Md-De-DC Elks Association Drug Awareness Program supports this program dedicated to a Fallen Hero and will select one Law Enforcement Officer to be evaluated for the National Award in his honor.

The Md-De-DC Elks Association Drug Awareness Program sponsors one Law Enforcement Officer in Maryland, one in Delaware, and one in the District of Columbia to receive this award.  Our web site has a dedicated page and may be visited by linking to: http://www.mddedcelks.org/ , and clicking on our Drug Awareness Section, and then the Camarena Story Page.  It has information concerning this award and the guidelines that need to be followed.

The below Link will take you to our web page that will allow you to download (MS Word format), the Guidelines Form and the Nomination Form to submit a worthy Law Enforcement Officer from your Community;

Downloadable Forms

Excerpt from DEA "Wall of Honor" website:

Special Agent Enrique S. Camarena, of the Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA) Guadalajara, Mexico, Resident Office, was kidnapped and tortured by Mexican drug traffickers on February 7, 1985. It is believed that Special Agent Camerena's death actually occurred on February 9. His body was discovered on March 5, 1985. He was 37 years of age at the time of his death.

SA Camarena joined DEA in June 1974 as a Special Agent with the Calexico, California District Office. He was assigned to the Fresno District Office in September 1977, and transferred to the Guadalajara Resident Office in July 1981. During his 11 years with DEA, he received two Sustained Superior Performance Awards, a Special Achievement Award and, posthumously, the Administrator's Award of Honor, the highest award granted by DEA.

Prior to joining DEA, SA Camarena served two years in the U.S. Marine Corps. He worked in Calexico as a fireman and then as a police investigator, and was a narcotics investigator for the Imperial County Sheriff Coroner. Special Agent Camarena was survived by his wife, Geneva and three children, Enrique, Daniel and Erik. Each October, thousands of schools, communities and state and local drug abuse prevention organizations distribute red ribbons to honor Special Agent Camarena's memory. The millions of Americans who wear these ribbons demonstrate visibly their commitment to a drug-free life. DEA's Miami Division hosts a golf tournament each year in memory of Special Agent Camarena. Proceeds from the tournament benefit the DEA Special Agents Survivors Benefit Fund.

For additional information, click on the Red Ribbon and the Starfish Page of this website.

* Visit our National Elks Drug Awareness Program Website: www.elks.org/drugs