Here's how it works!

What is the "Hit A Home Run Against Drugs" Program?

Hit A Home Run Against Drugs is a drug prevention program for elementary school children. Its mission is to promote healthy lifestyle choices among our nation’s youth by empowering them with knowledge and self-esteem to prevent tobacco, alcohol, and drug abuse.  Home Run Against Drugs also involves guest appearances from major and minor league baseball players at the school assemblies.  These star studded events will be sure to bring out the press and many sponsors.  Please read on!

Homer is the mascot of the Home Run Against Drugs program. We wanted to create an identity that children can associate with, and that would serve as our "mascot". Children respond to animation, and to create a fun, educational character that could interact with the children made sense. 

The concept of the S.T.R.I.K.E. Force is to develop a "team" approach to delivering the "Home Run Against Drugs" message. S.T.R.I.K.E. is an acronym for Start Teaching Resistance In Kids Early! The idea was to create a "supporting cast" of members for "Homer". This "team" will consist of professional athletes, community leaders, parents, educators and of course kids!  Eventually, the S.T.R.I.K.E. Force will contain other animated characters (from other sports) that can interact with "Homer" through video, multimedia, and print media. The idea was to create a sense of "membership" that each child is a member of the same team as a celebrity.

How can the program be funded?

Funding will be provided through private donations, grants, and fund raising efforts by the Young Readers Couincil.  

How is the "Home Run Against Drugs Program" delivered?

The program is primarily assembly based. Volunteers can work with the school or organization to deliver our message with groups of children, ages 4-10. The program consists of delivering basic principles on goal setting, self-esteem, health and nutrition, substance use and abuse, and legal consequences. Homer is brought in to interact with some role-playing. There is follow up curriculum available that can be used in a classroom setting.  This curriculum will include activities and lessons expanding on the message delivered in the assembly program. 

Home Run Against Drugs  will participate in community events and children’s events  to be as visible as possible. Homer has already participated in school fairs, spring flings, Colonial Mall’s Family Fridays, and the City of Mobile’s Bienville Kids Days. Home Run Against Drugs will work with corporate sponsors to create events such as the "Home Run Derby" and Celebrity Softball Events. There are plans to develop a national identity with Homer, the mascot, by having him participate in the professional sports venues throughout the country.  At these events, our focus is to generate awareness of "Homer" and the "Hit A Home Run Against Drugs" message, and to deliver materials such as baseball cards and coloring books and personalized books to kids furnished by sponsors.  We will also have actual baseball stars from the Major and Minor baseball leagues present at the school assemblies, kicking off the programs with Homer.  We are already negotiating with ball players and team owners now.  Since Home Run Against Drugs is a non profit organization, we expect teams and players to participate.   This format does raise the level of excitement and positive impact for the children.   Best of all, Homer has been invited back next year