Photo Provided MARTINS FERRY Police Chief John McFarland hands out free box lunches to members of the Belmont County Staying Clean Club in St. Clairsville.

MARTINS FERRY — The Belmont County Staying Clean Club is celebrating another year of encouraging local students to stay off drugs.

Club organizers, including Martins Ferry Police Chief John McFarland, are rewarding participating students — about 1,200 children in grades 7-12 — with free boxed lunches from Chick-fil-A and sweet treats from Jack’s Snacks at their respective schools.

The club’s Facebook page has posted numerous photos of students receiving their treats handed out by McFarland during the past few days.

Schools participating in the club include Barnesville, Bellaire, Bridgeport, St. Clairsville, Union Local, Martins Ferry, Shadyside and Belmont Career Center.

The goal of the club is to prevent local youth from using illegal drugs by offering them incentives, such as gift cards and discounts at local businesses, and the camaraderie of belonging to a group of peers who are staying clean, too.

To be part of the club, high school students must submit to urine-based drug testing. After the initial drug test additional testing is done randomly. Test results are not shared with the student’s school.

Kara Mowery, who co-coordinates the Staying Clean Club with Diane Elerick, said because of the COVID-19 pandemic they decided not to have large picnics for the children but to do the box lunches instead.

“It’s been amazing,” she added. “Everything has gone so smoothly. The kids are so appreciative of what we’ve done to reward them for being clean and sober.”

McFarland said previously that belonging to the club helps empower students to say “no” to drugs offered by people, including their peers, when the time comes.

At some point in their youth, children will be in a location or situation where they will be forced to make a decision about whether to try drugs. But by belonging to the club, children have “an out” when they are approached by their peers to take drugs. They can say they belong to the club and must submit to testing.

There is a cost for the lab testing. Annually a car show is held to help raise funds to help cover those costs.

This year’s Belmont County Schools Staying Clean Car, Bike, and Truck Show is slated to be held Sept. 11 at the Ohio Valley Mall parking lot, St. Clairsville. According to information on the event’s Facebook page, registration will begin at 10 a.m. with the show taking place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Judging will take place at 1:30 p.m.

In addition to getting to see dozens of classic cars, people can also enjoy music, dishes served up by food vendors on site and the chance to win a 50-50 drawing. There is a registration cost per vehicle, but student Staying Clean Club members can register their vehicles for free.

“Trophies will be awarded in multiple categories by independent judges. Two trophies will be awarded by the students in the club. Dash plaques will be given to the first 250 registrants. Free T-shirts will be given to the first 150 Student Drug Free Club Members. All proceeds benefit the (Belmont County Staying Clean Club) to continue expanding this drug use prevention program to the grade schools,” according to the event page.