Staunton City Council issues proclamation for Underage Drinking Prevention Month
The Greater Augusta Prevention Partners received a proclamation from the Staunton City Council on August 13 in recognition of Underage Drinking Prevention Month. The Let’s be the Influence campaign was launched by GAPP on August 1.
Let’s be the Influence to be focus of town hall meeting on underage drinking
Greater Augusta Prevention Partners and the Central Shenandoah Valley Office on Youth are hosting a town hall meeting on underage drinking that will be held on Thursday, Aug. 20, at Wilson Middle School.
Speakers at the town hall meeting include Anne F. Reed, a local juvenile justice attorney, Derek Almarode from the Augusta County Sheriff’s office, and more.
The event, part of the Let’s be the Influence campaign from GAPP and the Office on Youth, is scheduled for 6-8 p.m. The public is invited.
The town hall meeting is aimed at bringing the community together around the issue of underage drinking. Participants can learn about what is being done about underage drinking and the pressures youth face to drink.
Light dinner served at 5:30 p.m. Childcare and children’s activities provided.
More online at ValleyPrevention.com.
Letter to the Editor: Talk with your kids about alcohol abuse
The News Leader in Staunton ran a Letter to the Editor by Martha Mikell online on August 13. The writer is club sponsor of Stuarts Draft High School chapter of Students Against Destructive Decisions.
The Greater Augusta Prevention Partners have recently launched a campaign titled “Let’s Be the Influence” that needs to be looked at by every parent in our area …
Read the full Letter to the Editor online.
Three winners announced for first Facebook promotion
The Greater Augusta Prevention Partners completed the first giveaway of the month through a contest on the Central Shenandoah Valley Office on Youth Facebook page.
As part of our Let’s be the Influence campaign for August, we asked our Facebook followers: “How are you the influence for your children? Share with us how you talk to your kids about underage drinking.”
Mary: “With my kids, I don’t sugarcoat anything when we talk. It’s no TV. No Interruptions. It’s quiet at the kitchen table sitting with a list of questions, and if available, I already have information on standby …. whether books, videos or whatever we have.”
Anne: “I like to talk with them in the car with the radio off. No distractions, no cells or devices while we are talking. This is also when we have The Sex Talk. They can’t go anywhere. And sometimes with an “intense” conversation, it helps that we don’t have to be face to face. So we are less embarrassed and they can feel more confident in asking questions.”
Jenn: “I’m looking forward to the event so I can learn more on how to talk to my four boys about this. To be honest, other than saying “don’t drink,” I don’t know how to approach the subject with them which scares me because they are all at the age where peer pressure could lead them to trying it.”
All three received a free GAPP messenger bag!
For more information on the campaign or the Town Hall meeting on August 20, visit www.ValleyPrevention.com
View our next contest online now at https://www.facebook.com/OfficeonYouth
Let’s be the Influence campaign participating in National Night Out
Greater Augusta Prevention Partners and the Central Shenandoah Valley Office on Youth will be promoting their Let’s be the Influence anti-underage drinking campaign in the National Night Out event scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 4, in the Target parking lot on Town Center Drive in Waynesboro.
The Let’s be the Influence campaign is aimed at encouraging parents to talk to children and teens about the dangers of underage drinking. The GAPP Coalition is engaging the local community in a month-long campaign to highlight the influence that parents can have on youths to prevent underage drinking.
More online at ValleyPrevention.com.
The local National Night Out event is being organized by the Waynesboro Police Department, Staunton Police Department, Augusta County Sheriff’s Departent and Target.
The event runs from 6-8 p.m., rain or shine.
National Night Out highlights Law enforcement demos and exhibits, child fingerprinting, library exhitis, child safety seat checks, food for sale, fire and rescue exhibits, blood drive, K-9, pet adoptions, drug take back and more.
The local event also features a live performance of the National Anthem by the Faithful Men and a special appearance by AirCare 5.
AFP: GAPP campaign aims to engage parents to prevent underage drinking
AugustaFreePress.com reports on the Let’s be the Influence campaign launch held on July 31, 2015 at City Hall in Waynesboro.
NBC29: Augusta Co. Working to Fight Underage Drinking
NBC29 WVIR Charlottesville, VA News, Sports and Weather
NBC29 featured the Greater Augusta Prevention Partners and the Let’s be the Influence launch on their newscast. NBC29’s Tara Todd filed this report on the underage drinking prevention campaign running in August in Waynesboro, Staunton and Augusta County.
Greater Augusta Prevention Partners to launch Let’s Be the Influence campaign
Greater Augusta Prevention Partners will hold a press event on Friday, July 31, at 1 p.m. to discuss the launch of a local Let’s Be the Influence campaign aimed at getting parents to talk to their children and teens about underage drinking.
The press event will be held at the Waynesboro City Council chambers, Charles T. Yancey Municipal Building, 503 W. Main St., Waynesboro.
Confirmed speakers at the press event include:
Linda Riviea. Staunton Superintendent
Crystal Heinz from Eagle Distribution
Martha Mikell, SADD club sponsor from Stuarts Draft High School
Keri Jones, GAPP Coalition Coordinator
The month-long Let’s Be the Influence campaign will begin on Aug. 1. The campaign is modeled on a similar successful effort initiated by the Wyoming Association of Sheriffs and Chiefs of Police.
Highlights of the campaign will include online ads, billboards, screen ads in local theaters and a schedule of radio and TV commercial spots.
A website promoting the campaign – ValleyPrevention.com – will launch on Aug. 1.
Representatives of GAPP will set up at the Aug. 4-8 Augusta County Fair to promote the effort.
Another highlight will be an Aug. 20 town hall meeting at Wilson Middle School in Fishersville.
