Enrique “Kiki” Camarena Award
Enrique (Kiki) Camarena was born on July 26, 1947 in Mexicali, Mexico. He graduated from Calexico High School in Calexico, Calif., in 1966. After graduation he joined the U.S. Marines where he served for two years. After his military service, Kiki joined the Calexico Police Department and later moved to the El Centro Police Department. In 1974, he became part of the Drug Enforcement Administration. Seven years later he was assigned to the resident office in Guadalajara. He worked out of this office for four and a half years and was close to exposing a major drug trafficking operation. On February 7, 1985 Kiki was kidnapped. That was the last time he was seen alive. He was 37 years of age.
Shortly after Kiki’s death, U.S. Congressman Duncan Hunter; his wife Lynne Hunter; Calexico High School classmate, Henry Lozano; and Calexico City Councilman and educator, David Dillon launched the Calexico High School Kiki Camarena Club in Kiki’s hometown of Calexico, Calif. On April 20, 1985 over one hundred Kiki Camarena Club members pledged to lead drug free lives.
Interest from school districts in other cities in California’s Imperial Valley afforded Henry Lozano, then-Executive Director of Imperial Valley Teen Challenge, to create Kiki Camarena Clubs in Holtville, Brawley, and El Centro, California with the support of the Benevolent and Protective Order of the Elks.
In 1986, Henry Lozano, as a member of the Board of Directors of Californians for Drug-Free Youth, Inc., created a statewide coalition comprised of the Elks, Lions, Rotary, California Narcotics Officers Association, California Drug Enforcement Administration and drug prevention parent groups who worked together to establish the first statewide Red Ribbon Week celebration in October.
In 1988, the National Federation of Parents for Drug-Free Youth championed the first national Red Ribbon Week campaign with Honorary Chairman President Ronald Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan. That same year, congress officially established Red Ribbon Week.
Now, at the end of every October, millions of Americans dawn red ribbons in memory of Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena.
The Elks are proud to be a part of such an important tradition.
ENRIQUE S. CAMARENA AWARD CRITERIA
Enrique “Kiki” Camarena was an 11-year veteran agent of the DEA. He was kidnapped, brutally tortured and then murdered by the Mexican Cartel in 1985. He was a loving husband and father of three children. His death has inspired millions of Americans to lead a drug-free life and the Elks celebrate his commitment to this effort with an annual award.
October is traditionally Red Ribbon Month; a time where people wear the Red Ribbon to commemorate Agent Camarena’s sacrifice. The millions who wear these ribbons visibly take a stand to say; “We are opposed to illicit drugs; we take a stand against legalization efforts; and we commemorate all of the individuals who have been tragically affected by the results of the use and abuse.”
Each year, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, through the Drug Awareness Program, presents the Enrique S. Camarena Award to a member of the law enforcement community who best exemplifies the qualities and principles for which Agent Camarena gave his life. Nominees should be involved in their communities in an effort to help that community become drug-free. Nominees must have the support of their Agency and the respect of their community.
Nominations should be submitted to the State Drug Awareness Chairman by October 15th. Local Elks Lodge awards and District awards should be made before October 15th to ensure they can be included in the State competition. National selection will take place in December and the award will be presented at an appropriate setting during the next calendar year.
Each State Winner will be presented with an Award from the Elks Drug Awareness Program and the Lodge that submits the eventual Winner will also receive a bronze tablet to display in the Lodge.
Basic Criteria
- This Award should be presented to an individual and not an organization. Consideration may be given to a “team” within an organization, but ideally this Award should go to an individual.
- The nominee must have support of their supervisors.
- The nominee should be living: However, consideration will be given to presenting the Award posthumously.
- All nominations must be accompanied by the official Elks Nomination Form.
- The nominee should be involved in law enforcement.
- The nominee should be a positive role model and committed to a healthy lifestyle.
- The nominee should have made an outstanding contribution in the field of drug awareness or prevention.
- Ideally, the nominee has been someone who has been identified as having gone “above & beyond” their normal duties – someone who has made a difference.
- If selected, the nominee must be willing to attend an awards ceremony.
- Nominations must be presented in narrative for and include endorsements and recommendations from appropriate sources (Departments, Governments, Citizens, Schools etc.) Both the quality and quantity of the endorsements and recommendations will be considered.
- Nomination packets should include information regarding how the individual has helped youth and families.
- The nominee should possess leadership and organizational skills.
- Nomination packet should include a list of the individual’s previous awards and accomplishments.
- Lastly, the nominee should exemplify the standards by which “Kiki” lived, worked and died – “That one person can make a difference.”
Once a Lodge’s application is completed, the entire packet should be forwarded to the State DAP Chair. The deadlines are extremely important. The deadline for getting the nomination packet to the State Chair is November 31, 2020.
Timeline
October 1st – All Lodges should select their nominee and forward that selection to the District Chairperson
October 15th-District winners should be selected and forwarded to the State Chairman to be considered for the State Award
November – State Winner will be forwarded to Grand Lodge
EACH STATE WINNER WILL RECEIVE A NATIONAL “RUNNER-UP” AWARD
December 31st – National winner will be selected and will be invited to attend a national ceremony along with the sponsoring State Chairman. The sponsoring Lodge will also receive an award.
January 15th – All national runner-up’s will receive an award an a letter from the national Directors
State Convention-1st Weekend in May-State Winner will be honored and the State Award presented