HAHIRA — The wonders of magic transfixed students at Hahira Elementary School on Thursday.

The magic tricks also gave magician Magic Marc Dunston a chance to impart important information to the students about staying away from drugs and listening to their parents and teachers.

Dunston’s magic show was part of Red Ribbon Week events for the Lowndes County School System. Dunston is scheduled to perform at Lake Park and Clyattville elementary schools today.

Dunston has been performing since he was 5 years old and has been featured on “Sesame Street” and “Oprah.”

During his show Dunston engaged the children by bringing them up to help perform magic tricks and bringing out animals like a red-tailed boa and a rabbit.

Lighting a stainless steel pot at the beginning of the show, Dunston put a lid on the fire, lifted it open and produced a Mulukan Cockatoo, named Bingo, from Australia.

Bingo then danced to some music as Dunston got the students to clap along.

His success, Dunston said, was made possible through positive reinforcement from his parents, teachers and siblings.

“The younger you are when you realize your goals the more successful you will become,” he said.

Growing up in Philadelphia, Dunston said he was surrounded by positive reinforcement but also came in contact with those that wished to coerce him into doing bad things.

Older children began asking Dunston’s friends if they wanted to smoke cigarettes, then they began asking them to watch for cops as they stole things.

Before long those same children were doing drugs and selling drugs, he said.

Some of those same children are still behind bars for some of the things they have done involving drugs, Dunston said.

“But I had this vision. I was setting goals and thinking about college,” he said.

He urged the children to listen to their teachers, to allow themselves to be taught and to listen to the advice they impart.