On Wednesday, March 24, thousands of young people will celebrate “Kick Butts Day,” a day to encourage others to stop smoking or using tobacco.

Kick Butts Day is a national event started in September 1995 by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. It is an event in which youth will take action against tobacco at more than 2,000 events held nationwide.

This year, the Tombigbee Healthcare Authority’s student groups — TEMPO (Teens Empowering and Motivating their Peers to Opt out) and YEP! (Youth Empowerment Program) — to help the community through a “Number Campaign.”

During this campaign, YEP! students will collect shoes to demonstrate the number of tobacco-related deaths in Marengo County last year and the number of expected tobacco-related deaths this year. The shoes also represent the number of youth at risk of becoming first-time smokers.

The Numebr campaign will be held Wednesday at Demopolis High School. YEP! students are asking residents to donate shoes that are unwanted but in good condition. Shoes can be dropped off at the following locations from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.:

Demopolis High School (334-289-0294)

Theo Ratliff Activity Center (334-289-2200)

GROWestAL (334-287-2610

The Demopolis Public Library (334-289-1595)

Two Rivers Ford (334-289-3454)

Salvation Army (334-289-6090)

Boone’s Pharmacy (334-289-8989

Following the event, the shoes that are collected will be sent to families in Haiti.

For more information about “Kick Butts Day” or the “Number Campaign,” contact Loretta Wilson at (334) 287-2610.