All it took was an idea.

Teens involved with the Carter County Drug Prevention Coalition youth board continue to show that kids know how to make an impact in the region.

Just a few months removed from their stint down at the TNSTRONG Summit, the youth board is putting the final touches on the inaugural “Kick Butt Kids” conference, set for Saturday, Sept. 29, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Memorial Park Community Center in Johnson City. The weekend endeavor is geared for children from third to sixth grade students.

Jilian Reece, Carter County Drug Prevention Coalition executive director, was quick to praise the efforts of the board for organizing the event. Kick Butt Kids is made possible through a grant with the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services.

Saturday’s event is free and open to the public and includes a free lunch provided by Chick-fil-A.

The schedule for the event includes:

• 11-11:30 a.m. – Registration and lunch. Music by DJ Drew – A Sharp Entertainment/dance contest

• 11:30 a.m. to 12:10 p.m. – Matt Fore Magic Show

• 12:10 to 12:40 p.m. – Motivation & Self-Esteem – Ryan Witten

Breakout sessions: 1) Anti-bully 2) Tobacco Prevention 3) Alcohol & Substance Abuse Prevention

• 1:45 to 2 p.m. – Music and dance contest, snack and resources for people who need help.

It has been a successful 2018 for the coalition so far with three youth board members being named TNSTRONG ambassadors. Pate Anglin, Luke Anglin and Reece Townsend are representing the area on the 10-plus ambassador board that features teenagers from across the state.

After going through the process at the TNSTRONG conference, Townsend said the board was able to come up with the idea of a youth board for children from the region.

“Our biggest event is coming up in September,” Townsend recently told the Elizabethton Star. “It is for kids between kindergarten and sixth-grade ages. It is free of charge and will feature a magic show, an exotic bird show, Ryan Witten, a beauty queen, Chick-fil-A and much more. There will be free lunch and awesome prizes. During this conference I will be teaching kids about the dangers in tobacco. Along with others, presenters will teach about bullying, alcohol abuse and more. It will be a great event.”

For more information about the event, be sure to visit the Carter County Drug Prevention Coalition Facebook page.