Participation at El Salvador Independence Day Celebration

Los Angeles, CA

A youth volunteer assists Miss Guatemala, a special guest of the festivities, as she signs a drug-free pledge. A youth volunteer assists Miss Guatemala, as she signs a drug-free pledge.

Under the banner “Uniting the World,” tens of thousands celebrated El Salvador’s Independence Day, in a September 5th parade and festivities in Los Angeles.

The Foundation for a Drug-Free World, along with local businesses and organizations, participated in the event. The Foundation was pleased to be invited by one of the main organizers for the annual parade, Victor Castanon of Defisal (Salvadoran Independence Parade and Festival Organization).

“The Drug-Free World Foundation’s objectives, their mission are also my goals,” says Mr. Castanon, “and they want to help people and make a real change in the world.”

Volunteers from the Foundation for a Drug-Free World marched in the parade while passing out hundreds of The Truth About Drugs booklets. Comprising an educational series on the major “drugs of choice,” the booklets present young people with the actual effects of drug use in a straightforward manner.

During the festival, a special booth was also set up for volunteers and members of the Foundation who were on hand to answer questions and distribute more free booklets. In total, one-thousand The Truth About Drugs booklets were distributed during the parade and festivities.

For Victor Castanon this annual celebration is not just about El Salvador’s Independence Day, but helping the world unite and be free from those things that most threaten us all—including drugs. “The festivities have drawn all people—Costa Ricans, Colombians, Koreans as well as white Americans and African-Americans,” he said. “I want these events to plant a seed in order to help everyone lead a better life, drug-free. And that would be helping to unite the world.”