Community fair at CHS to raise drug-abuse and driver awareness

Twenty-five cases of Coke, 35 cases of Pepsi, 350 half-pints of orange juice, multitudes of hot dogs.

All will be free to attendees Saturday at the Community Awareness Fair at Carson High School, but the food's not the focus of the fair.

Driver awareness and drug prevention education are.

"Just like the drug problem in Carson City, the driving problem is not specific to one age group, one race or one sex," said video production teacher Brian Reedy, who is overseeing the fair with his students. "It abounds all over. We're really gearing activities at the fair for all the ages."

Events include a walkathon/jogathon, a blood drive, Battle of the Bands, a drunk-driving simulator, an obstacle course and more. The fair is planned by the video production class to help them meet the objectives of three grants they've received this year - Project Ignition, Learn and Serve and Unsung Heroes.

All booths and many of the activities will occur in the north parking lot in the portion off Saliman Road closest to Highway 50. Stand Tall, Don't Fall, a club of about 25 students at Carson High, is one of the groups coming.

"At our booth, we're going to have information related to what parents and kids can do related to under-age drinking," said parent coordinator Linda Lang. "We're also going to have some other drug education information at the table, about methamphetamine and steroid use."

The group will have its "fatal vision" goggles available for use in activities to demonstrate the effects of impairment.

"(They are) an education tool to show kids how it might feel to be under the influence, not just for driving, but for any kind of sports they might do, like riding a skateboard or snowboarding," Lang said.

Also participating in the fair are the Community Council on Youth, the Ron Wood Center, Boys & Girls Club of Western Nevada, Western Nevada Community College, Nevada Urban Indians and Straw Hat Pizza.

"(Straw Hat) will have tables where kids can do coloring book stuff," Reedy said. Straw Hat will provide prizes.

Agencies participating in the city's methamphetamine task force will feature banners at their tables, identifying them as part of "Partnership Carson City."

"This is really the beginning of the meth task's force community awareness program on what they're doing to address the meth problem in the city," Reedy said.

The sheriff's office and fire department will be present. The obstacle course, where participants will test their driving skills, includes driving around obstacles simulating rocks and boulders, and responding to traffic signs.

"The best way to help people to learn, and to engage them in making positive choices is to involve them in activities that benefit the learning process," said Reedy. "That's why we've got so many activities."

About 25 students from the Key Club at the school and 25 students from Student Council are volunteering their time.

The jogathon/runathon begins at 8 a.m.

If you go

What: Community Awareness Fair

When: 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday

Where: Carson High School, 1111 N. Saliman Road

Information:

Go to the school Web site at www.carsonhigh.com and scroll down to the Oct. 22 link. A full listing of events, schedules and participants is available.