Local elementary school hosts its annual Red Ribbon Week flyover

BRAWLEY, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) - Nationwide, many schools across the U.S. are spreading awareness this week to help keep kids drug-free. 

Phil Swing Elementary took it up a notch by having students line up across their field spelling “Drug-Free” while REACH Air Medical Services flies over the school capturing images of the students below.

REACH has partnered with Phil Swing Elementary for their traditional flyover since 1980. 

Ceci Castello, a teacher at Phil Swing Elementary, said she remembers the first flyover.

“Mrs. Arellano was the principal here and we thought, hey this is a cool idea, let’s have the CHP Fly over. And that's how it started. And then after she retired and stuff, we thought, oh well how can we keep it going? At that time, REACH started again. Well REACH started here in the Valley, and I asked them because I knew the people that worked there and that's how we did it," said Castello.

Almost 900 students lined up spelling “Drug-Free” across the lawn waiting for the REACH Helicopter to pass by.