Help Spread the Word: March 21 is Teen Appreciation Day!

This Friday, March 21, several City of Alexandria recreation centers are celebrating Teen Appreciation Day by hosting a variety of fun and free activities for Alexandria middle and high school students. From glow tag to karaoke contests, there's something for everyone!

Check out more information about specific event locations, times, and activities below:

Leonard Armstrong, 25 W. Reed Ave. | 4 - 6 p.m.

• March Madness Game Day, group discussion (15 mins.), raffles + prizes, Tik Tok Dance Challenge, table + video games + tournaments, sports picture wall, music + food

Patrick Henry, 4653 Taney Ave. | 6 - 8:30 p.m.

• Dodgeball, tournament, 3v3 basketball, knock-out, winners photo booth, sip ‘n paint, game room tournaments, movie/karaoke + chillaxin’/raffles. Teens wear denim blue

Charles Houston, 901 Wythe St. | 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.

• Glow tag, saran wrap ball game, raffle, karaoke contest, prize, food + drinks

William Ramsay/Buddie Ford, 5650 Sanger Ave. | 7 - 9 p.m

• Nature Center activities, game truck, ping pong tournament, 5v5 basketball, prizes, raffles, board games, Tik Tok Dance Challenge

For more details and to secure your spot today, visit alexandriava.gov/RPCA/Teens.

Save the Date for Alexandria Youth Speak Up on April 10

Mark your calendar for Alexandria Youth Speak Up on Thursday, April 10 from 6 - 8 p.m. at Patrick Henry Recreation Center (4653 Taney Ave.) This free event will bring together middle school youth, high school youth, and adults to hear directly from youth about the issues they are facing. After discussions about a range of topics that impact youth, including youth substance use prevention, participants will discuss solutions to address these issues. Dinner will be provided.

Learn more and register for this event by visiting alexandriava.gov/go/6782.

This event is hosted by the Children Youth and Families Collaborative Commission, SAPCA, the Alexandria Campaign on Adolescent Pregnancy, and the Alexandria Sexual Assault Center.

To learn more, contact Leia Stuart at leia.stuart@alexandriava.gov.

Deadline Extended: Your Help is Needed to Help SAPCA Assess Its Effectiveness

Dear Fellow Alexandrians,

I am writing to ask a favor of you. The State has asked all Virginia substance use prevention coalitions to have their coalition members and other community members complete a survey on the coalition's effectiveness in addressing youth substance use prevention. This survey will take between 15-20 minutes to complete.

Believe me, I know this is a major investment of your valuable time. I promise that your investment will pay off for Alexandria's children and youth. The SAPCA Board will use the information you provide to continue the initiatives and work you think are effective and revise or eliminate any initiatives and work you indicate are not effective. They will also use your information to determine what new initiatives and work should start. The State will use the information to assess the overall effectiveness of coalitions across the state and make any changes needed as well as share trend information with coalition leaders.

Please complete this survey from start to finish in one sitting because you will not be able to return to finish a partially completed survey. Also, to provide the best information for us, please complete all questions. Please complete the survey no later than April 10, 2025.

• The survey link is: https://omniinstitute.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6yDXLC3EYX3TJxH
• Note: Please do not click on/launch the survey until you are ready to complete it in one sitting
• The name of our CSB is: Alexandria CSB. Please select the correct name from the drop down list in the survey.
• The name of the Coalition you are assessing is: Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition of Alexandria. You will need to enter this in the survey.
• If you wish to preview the survey before you start, please click here to see the paper version of the tool.

Thank you very much for sharing your invaluable input and helping SAPCA.

Best Wishes,



Allen Lomax

Chair, Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition of Alexandria

Get Involved: Support Drug Take Back Day Outreach Efforts!

Do you want to make a difference in your community? SAPCA is looking for volunteers to help support outreach efforts during next month's National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, April 26, from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. This event provides residents with an opportunity to safely dispose of unneeded prescription and over-the-counter medications at drop-off locations dispersed throughout the City.

During this event, volunteers share information and distribute resources about the importance of safe medication disposal at one of several drop-off locations. Interested in learning more? Please complete this brief form to receive information about SAPCA volunteer opportunities that align with your interests.

Contact Emma Beall at emma.beall@alexandriava.gov to learn more.

Quick Links

Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition of Alexandria 

4850 Mark Center Drive

Alexandria, VA 22311