Youths turn out for Teen Scene's Hawaiian Luau

Teen Scene, the Alliance, Caring Communities and the Fair Acres Family YMCA joined forces Saturday for a clean, safe and fun night for community teens.

"They put a lot of hard work into it," said YMCA program director Cari Eck of Teen Scene. "There's a lot going on. It's more than what I was hoping for. This is blowing my mind."

Nate Dycus, Teen Scene coordinator, said the group had two weeks to plan and put the event into action.

"This event is for the kids so that they won't feel and want and need drugs and alcohol,"Dycus said. "Hopefully the kids that come tonight will get hooked. Our goal is so that next time we have an event, they'll want to come back. And keep coming back instead of going out to an unsafe place."

Teens were given the YMCA facility to swim, play basketball, volleyball, ping-pong, pool, hang out or listen to music. Starting at 9 p.m., the 9-month-old band, Breaking Away, performed in the aerobics room.

The band of local teens is consists of drummer Brian Phillips, lead guitar Brady Bridges, bass player Steve-o-Chartier and lead singer Wesley Smith. The Christian band members said they were more than happy to play for the event, and were looking forward to play in a Battle of the Bands concert in Nashville, Tenn., later this spring.

"We want to get our message out," said Chartier.

In the next room down the hall, Elizabeth Gutierrez and Destiny Presley, two members of the Teen Scene council, were running the snack table. The girls said they were the best qualified to run the table, plus they were asked to.

"The guys would just eat it all," Gutierrez said.

Within the same room, Jonas Romine, 13, was playing ping-pong. He said the evening's festivities were something different to do on a Saturday night.

"I just heard about it and thought I'd come," he said.

Mother Nancy Johnson created a ripple effect when she brought home a flyer for the event earlier this week. Her 14-year-old daughter, Latosha Willet in turn invited 16-year-old Matt Jones.

"I just said 'OK, cool,'" Willet said with a smile.

Robyn Sandridge, director for the Alliance, said the evening would be successful as long as the teens strayed away from unsafe activities.

"We're trying to give them alternative activities than drugs and alcohol and the YMCA aligns closely to what we're trying to do," she said. "Kids with nothing to do tend to get in trouble."

Carthage Press