The following story about Imperial Valley junior high & high students appeared in the Imperial Valley Press on February 13, 2004.  Read on to learn about how students combined their desire to express anti-smoking and anti-drug sentiments with their expression of love through valentine hearts. 

The Saving Sweethearts Anti-Smoking Campaign has been sponsored by the Imperial County Office of Education, Student Well-Being and Family Resources for the past ten years.  This year, the Club Live (junior high students) and Friday Night Live (high school students) from nine schools participated.

Sylvia Gonzalez, 12, uses the back of Edith Cota, also 12, to fill out a candygram for a friend as part of a Valleywide campaign against smoking called "Save a Sweetheart" on Thursday at Wilson Junior High School in El Centro. PAUL NILSON PHOTO

By HEATHER BREMNER, Staff Writer
Friday, February 13, 2004 2:34 PM PST

Local students are thinking about more than lace, chocolate and red roses on Valentine's Day.

The junior high and high school students are using V-Day as a way to say no to smoking.

During lunch Wednesday and Thursday, students from Calipatria to Calexico penned their names on pink construction paper hearts pledging to "keep my heart healthy for me and you — by not smoking."

Organized by students in after-school programs Club Live and Friday Night Live, the activity is a twist on the traditional Valentine's Day festivities.

Robert Leftwich, Wilson Junior High School Club Live director, said the goal of this project is to send a serious message in a fun way.

"The message is not to be sold, it's to be given out to people," he said.

Wilson Club Live students stood behind a table outside the gym handing hearts to eager students Thursday afternoon.

The girls (only a few boys are involved in the club) said telling someone you love that you plan to live smoke-free is a great way to celebrate V-Day.

Wilson eighth-grader Brooke-Lynn Edney has a quick answer as to why she's a member of Club Live.

"To spread the word around that drug-free is better than being (a) druggie," said the 13-year-old, who noted happily that her quote was a good one.

Many of the girls handing out the smoke-free cards said at least one of their parents smoke.

"I don't like the smell of smoke," said Carolina Gonzalez, 13. "My mom smokes and my dad smokes."

For Karen Leon, 13, the message hits home. Her father developed throat cancer from years of smoking.

"Just my dad (smokes)," she said. "I told him about this and he stopped smoking."

The students made about 400 Valentines, and by the end of Thursday, they'd already passed out more than half.

Tiffany Mendoza couldn't get enough of the Valentines.

When asked if she was simply taking advantage of the fact that the cards will be hand-delivered today to her friends along with lollipops, Tiffany solemnly shook her head.

"I've already told my parents that there's no way I'm smoking," she said, then turning around to sign her name on a few more cards.