The Right Path program offers drug-free activities for young people

Cannonballs, hula-hooping contests and a live DJ closed out the summer programming for The Right Path for Washington County Friday.

The Right Path is a program that aims to provide prevention services and programming that focuses on drug-free activities, youth-adult partnerships and community service to put young people onto good paths for their lifetimes.

Friday was the program’s “End of Summer Blow-Out Party” with swimming and a family night supported through community partnerships at the Marietta Aquatic Center.

“I love bringing my grandchildren each Friday night and to all these things,” said Rhonda Martin, of Marietta. “It’s good for the kids to stay out of trouble and I love it when they do this.”

Martin explained that her family is plagued with examples of making poor decisions but she’s fighting to keep her grandkids on a better path than their parents.

“Bryce (10) and Hali (14) are at that age when they could make the bad choices, their mom’s in prison and their dad just got caught,” she expanded. “I’m fighting breast cancer and doing everything I can with their other grandma to keep them going on the right path. We’re not perfect but we fight for these kids; they come first.”

Anthony Seevers, 17, of Marietta, has been attending Right Path events for the past decade and said the program has been a great way to make new friends and even pull his brother out of his shell.

“There’s always a slide contest or a fun thing at a dance,” he explained. “I always drag my little brother along with me and now he even has fun at these things outside of the house now.”

Cathy Harper, coordinator of the program, said this summer the group has “sorely missed” the ability to hold teen dances at Marietta College’s Gathering Place due to renovations, but the obstacle also pushed the group to come up with different activities to draw teens and their families.

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