Project HOCO Shopping Day Tomorrow – Saturday, Sept. 26

 

It's time for Homecoming and UthMpact's PROJECT HOCO has just the look that will make you feel great on Homecoming Night - for FREE!

Our second Project HOCO Shopping Day is tomorrow, Saturday, September 26, from 11am to 4pm, at the Project Prom Store at Lakeland Square Mall - across from Rack Room Shoes. Bring your Polk High School ID, sign a pledge to celebrate homecoming substance-free, and enjoy wearing your free dress or suit to look and feel your very best!

Project HOCO Shopping Days continue on Saturdays October 10 and October 17. 

For more info, please call the InnerAct Alliance office at (863) 802-0777.

Help Kids Make Smart Choices that Keep Them in the Game

 

Life is full of choices. Some can open doors, while risky choices can close them. This Red Ribbon season, help your kids to make smart choices by choosing themselves - their goals, their health, their future, and those who count on them.

Encourage your teens to make choices today that they'll be proud of tomorrow, such as:

🚫 Skipping the pressure to drink, vape, use drugs or take unnecessary risks

💪 Finding healthy ways to handle stress and have fun

🤝Looking out for their friends - and speaking up when something doesn't feel right

🞋 Staying focused on things they want their future to look like

🎀 Sign your family up to participate in the 2026 Red Ribbon Run on Saturday morning, October 31 at Lake Mirror in Lakeland. Run, walk, connect, and celebrate making healthy choices together!

InnerAct Alliance Highlighted by the Lakeland Tigers for We Care Wednesday

 

Thank you to the Lakeland Flying Tigers baseball team for highlighting InnerAct Alliance at their "We Care Wednesday" game on August 12 at Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium in Lakeland. It was a homerun for everyone! ⚾

InnerAct Alliance appreciated this special opportunity to share important substance abuse prevention education information and talk to fans and families about our free programs and services available in the community.😊

Ryan Rogers, President of the InnerAct Alliance Board of Directors and SVPII/West Polk Regional Manager with MIDFLORIDA Credit Union, showed off his athletic skills throwing out the first pitch of the game. 

The Flying Tigers went on to defeat the Bradenton Marauders by a final score of 12-3. Everyone enjoyed the game action and visiting with fans and Tigers' mascot, SouthPaw! 🐾

10 Important Affirmations for Teens

 

Unfortunately, anxiety and depression are on the rise among the teen population. 

Adults tend to forget that being a teen is an emotionally volatile time. It's not uncommon to hear them say, "My life is over" or "What's the use?" Society tends to reject these declarations as being overdramatic but for many teens, sometimes it may actually seem like the end of the world to them. 

If you're searching for a way to improve your child's mental state, consider helping them to practice positive thinking and recite phrases of positive affirmation to help combat negative thoughts and propel growth.

Similar to how exercise can boost physical health, daily affirmations like those suggested in the graphic above empower teens to take charge of their emotions, handle changes, and believe in their unique qualities.

Thoughts and words are powerful. A positive frame of mind can lead to making better decisions. 

Parents and caregivers, please take time to affirm your teens and help boost their overall well-being so they can become happy, confident young adults. 

Happy First Day of Fall 2026

 

After months of heat and humidity, a little relief may be on its way as we usher in the Fall Equinox this evening! 

According to the Farmer's Almanac, the fall equinox is an astronomical event when the sun sits directly above the Earth's equator, marking the official first day of autumn. On this day, daylight and darkness are roughly equal at 12 hours each. 🌞🌛

The Sun crosses the celestial equator moving south in the Northern Hemisphere. Neither the Northern nor Southern Hemisphere is tilted toward the sun. After this day, the Northern Hemisphere tilts farther away from the sun - leading to shorter days, longer nights, and cooler weather.

Be sure to Welcome Fall at 8:04pm this evening! 🍂

UthMpact Class XVI Etiquette Dinner

Kudos to our UthMpact Board for leading the 16th Annual UthMpact Polk Etiquette Dinner held last month on August 26, 2026 at The Club at Eaglebrooke. Students who are participating in the 2026-2027 UthMpact Leadership Class XVI enjoyed an amazing opportunity to network with members of the Leadership Lakeland Alumni Association and savor a fine dining experience. 🍴

At the Etiquette Dinner, our teen leaders learned the importance of proper dining etiquette in a formal setting and discussed informative topics with members of the business community including advice about hiring practices for young people and sharing life and career insights. 

Special thanks to The Club at Eaglebrooke and to the Leadership Lakeland Alumni Association for their continued support!

 

Trick or Treat with Polk Sheriff Grady Judd on October 24

 

Get your best Halloween costume ready for this safe and family-friendly event planned for Saturday, October 24, 2026, from 2:00pm to 6:00pm, at Sun 'n Fun, located at 4175 Medulla Road, in Lakeland, FL. 🧡

Families will be treated to fun entertainment, candy, music, dancing, photos, and characters.👻And best thing is...it's FREE! Contact the Polk Sheriff's Office for more details and info.

National FAMILY DAY: A Day to Eat Dinner with Your Children September 28

 

Mark your calendar for Monday, September 28, which is National Family Day: A Day to Eat Dinner with Your Children - a reminder of the power of meals, connection, and togetherness.👪

We encourage you to participate in this national effort to promote family dinners as an effective way to reduce youth substance abuse and other risky behaviors. Research by The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University consistently finds the more often children eat dinner with their families, the less likely they may be to smoke, drink or use illegal substances.🚭

Learn more about this initiative, sign the Family Day Pledge, and receive tips to talk with your children by visiting https://www.informedfamilies.org/

Support National Infant Mortality Awareness Month in September

 

September is National Infant Mortality Awareness Month, a time to recognize that every baby deserves the chance to celebrate a first birthday and thrive beyond it.👶Infant mortality reflects the health of families and communities, and reducing it requires continued attention to healthy pregnancies, safe sleep, access to quality prenatal and pediatric care, and support for parents before, during, and after birth.

An excellent local resource we'd like to share for families to contact to obtain valuable information from Florida Healthy Start is the Healthy Start Coalition of Hardee, Highlands, and Polk Counties, Inc., located at 650 E. Davidson St., in Bartow, FL. Contact them at (863) 534-9224 and visit them on their website at:  

https://www.healthystarthhp.org/

Always Remember – Never Forget: September 11, 2001

 

September 11, 2001 will never be forgotten - 25 years later, Americans continue to honor the memories of those who lost their lives, pay tribute to the bravery of first responders, and reflect on the values of freedom, democracy, and resilience.

Although time goes by, we will always recall where we were during one of the worst days in American history as tragedy ensued at the Twin Towers in New York City, at the Pentagon, and aboard United Airlines Flight 93 over Pennsylvania.

Out of these unspeakable tragedies came stories of strength, courage, fortitude, and some of the bravest acts of the heroes of 9/11. We remember the innocent lives lost, the heroes who stepped up to defend our country, the families who suffer painful loss of loved ones, the volunteers who gave selflessly, and those who sacrificed everything. God Bless America!

Please Consider a Smart Investment in a Drug Free Future

 

Did you know that for every $1 invested in prevention that between $7 and $30 is saved in treatment costs? That is not just smart economics, it is also smart compassion.

Your donation to support InnerAct Alliance increases positive impact across Central Florida and supports our agency's education, training, and support programs for parents, children, families, and schools right here in our community to help raise safe, healthy, and substance-free children.

For four decades, we have chosen prevention over intervention, positive facts over scare tactics, and community investment over crisis management to help students in Polk, Highlands, and Hardee counties grow up making healthy choices because someone believed prevention can work.

Empower positive change - every gift, no matter the size, demonstrates that our community values prevention, supports youth leaders, and believes in the power of positive peer pressure.

Please donate to InnerAct Alliance at:
https://www.inneractalliance.org/donations.html

 

Register to participate in the 2026 Red Ribbon Run on October 31:
https://runsignup.com/Race/FL/Lakeland/InnerActAllianceRedRibbonRun

Visit the InnerAct Alliance website for helpful tools and inspiration to keep your family safe, healthy, and connected at:
https://www.inneractalliance.org/

Keep up with the latest prevention use on the IAA Blog at:

https://inneractblogtownhallmeeting.blogspot.com/

 

Join Us for the 2026 Red Ribbon Run – Saturday, October 31st

It's time to start your stretches and warm-ups and register to run in InnerAct Alliance's 2026 Red Ribbon Run, presented by Publix Super Markets, which will take place on Saturday morning, October 31, at beautiful Lake Mirror in Lakeland!

Free registration for K-8 Students for the Kids Fun Run is offered until October 30th and registration will be $5 on the day of the event. Parents and adults may run with their children by registering for the Family Fun Run. Lots of healthyactivities and entertainment, plus the opportunity to visit with our friendly community vendors, will take place in the World Tour Family Fun area all day.

For more info, please take a moment to visit IAA's Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/InnerActAlliance?fref=pb&hc_location=profile_browser and visit IAA's website to register: https://www.inneractalliance.org/

See you on Saturday morning, October 31 at Lake Mirror for all the fun!🎀

PROJECT HOMECOMING Shopping Days Begin This Saturday, September 12

 

💜Homecoming Season is Upon Us! 💜

If you're looking for the perfect HOCO look without a  big price tag, Project HOCO of Polk County has FREE homecoming dresses and suits for local teens!

The FIRST Shopping Date is THIS SATURDAY, SEPT. 12 from 11am to 4pm! Local high school teens bring your student ID and find a new outfit you'll feel amazing in absolutely FREE!

Visit the Project Prom/HOCO Store in Lakeland Square  Mall - 3800 US Hwy 98 N in Lakeland, FL - across from Rack Room Shoes.

If you can't make it this Saturday, the Project Prom/HOCO Store will also be open on Saturdays, Sept. 26, Oct. 10, and Oct. 17.

Spread the word to all your friends and classmates to come out to shop for a cool new HOCO look!