In a follow-up to last spring’s announcements unveiling Project: Connect the Dots, the group behind the effort will be hosting another event on Nov. 14.

From 5 to 8 p.m., the group, in partnership with Reeves Community Center, will be sponsoring Project Night, a family fun event featuring entertainment, activities and the unveiling of new public service announcements.

“Unlike the one last spring, this is more of a floating event,” said Jamie Edwards, coordinator for Project: Connect the Dots. “This is much more family-centered. People can come and go as they please.”

Throughout the evening, there will be a climbing wall and an inflatable bouncer for kids. There will also be entertainment including a Zumba demonstration, a DJ and a performance by Peace of Mind, a band comprised of students from Mount Airy Middle School.

Peace of Mind also created a music video pertaining to the event which will be aired. Other students at Mount Airy Middle created a public service announcement which will debut during the evening along with PSAs created by the Surry County Health and Nutrition Center and by the members of Reeves Community Center regarding healthful living.

“The whole idea is to talk about healthy lifestyles and healthy communities,” said Edwards. “All of this ties together with the 0-1-2 message on alcohol consumption.”

The 0-1-2 model, also known as the Domino strategy, is one method used to promote responsible alcohol use. This strategy will be the focus of Project Night at RCC. It details that people under 21 years of age, pregnant, trying to become pregnant, breastfeeding, operating any type of vehicle or machinery, recovering alcoholics or drug dependent or using certain medications should have zero alcoholic beverages. Women should have no more than one standard drink per day, and men should have no more than two standard drinks per day.

Going along with this model, the Mount Airy Police Department will have pedal cars at RCC that night with drunk goggles to allow people to see what it is like to drive while intoxicated.

As a special treat, the Governor’s Highway Safety Program Expo display will also be at Reeves. The Expo travels around the state to educate North Carolina citizens on the importance of not drinking and driving. The 53-foot trailer includes seven interactive driving simulators which allow drivers to witness first-hand how alcohol impairs judgment while driving in 30 different lessons with more than 240 driving scenarios.

Food Lion will be providing refreshments for the event including sandwiches, fruit, cheese and drinks.

The first 100 attendees will receive the new Project: Connect the Dots T-shirt.

While this night will focus on what 0-1-2 means, a spring event is in the works which will focus on defining a standard drink.

According to its Web Site, Project: Connect the Dots is the implementation stage of the Surry County Strategic Prevention Framework - State Incentive Grant. The project has been charged to implement environmental prevention strategies that are based on interventions that have been scientifically proven to reduce community alcohol usage in similar communities.

The PSAs will also be available online at www.projectconnectthedots.info that day for those unable to attend Project Night.

Contact Morgan Wall at mwall@mtairynews.com or 719-1929.