Area students hear from a special visitor
BY JOHN ANDREWS
* ‘Retro Bill’ speaks to fourth- and fifth-graders about dangers of drugs and alcohol

He calls himself a 21st-century Mister Rogers, and he was in Brookings Wednesday to talk to students about making smart, healthy decisions.

Bill Russ, aka Retro Bill, considered by many to be one of the nation’s leading experts on children’s safety and self-esteem, spoke to fourth- and fifth-graders from Brookings, Elkton, Deubrook and Sioux Valley about the dangers of drugs and alcohol.

Russ is the writer, producer, director and star of the award-winning “DARE Safety Tips Video starring Retro Bill.” The video is used in more than 350,000 classrooms nationwide, and more than 26 million children watch it each year.

On Wednesday, at the Central Elementary gym, Russ, wearing his trademark jacket, shirt and shoes with flames on them and his throwback hair style, had students laughing and learning. He talked to them about his “hula hoop theory.” “What goes around, comes around,” Russ said. “If you do drugs, they’ll kill you. If you put good things in your body, you have all this positive energy.”

But along life’s road, Russ said, there will be obstacles in the form of “garbage,” or tobacco, drugs and alcohol. To illustrate his point, Russ poured a beer into a pitcher and added a cigarette and some chewing tobacco. He then walked around the crowd, showing the pitcher and its contents to the students.

“Boys and girls, as I walked around, I heard a lot of you say, ‘That is gross,’” he said. “And you know what? You speak the truth. Leave the garbage where it belongs.”

Russ said he knew at the age of 12 that he wanted to grow up to be like Fred Rogers. Now, he’s on the road more than 300 days out of the year, going to various schools around the country. He’s also currently in negotiations with Nickelodeon, Disney and PBS on a new television show.

 

312 5th Street    Brookings, SD 57006    Phone: 605-692-6271 -- Fax: 605-692-2979

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