The second annual Battle of the Bands in the Pinecrest football stadium was organized by Teens Against Tobacco Use (TATU), an organization that works to inform young people about the dangers of tobacco use and keep them tobacco-free.

Event sponsors were the American Lung Association of North Carolina, FirstHealth Community Health Services, AutoWerks, Roly Poly, Basil's, Thai Orchid, N2Flow Skateboards, Etc., Taco Bell, Jersey Mike's, Ten-Ya and Chick-fil-A.

Sean O'Brien, a DJ from Rock 103, emceed the program, which featured four student bands (Brain Damage, Commercial Quality, New Fedors and Dionysius). The winner, Commercial Quality, received $100, a gift basket from The Sound Hole and a party tray from Roly Poly. Runner-up Dionysius won $40 in gift certificates to N2Flow Skateboards, Etc.

Throughout the event, TATU members presented tobacco awareness activities that allowed those attending to learn more about the TATU program and increase their knowledge about the hazards of tobacco.

Fans also filled out surveys that made them eligible for a drawing for gift certificates to smoke-free restaurants and guessed the number of cigarette butts in a jar. The top two guessers also received a gift certificate to a local smoke-free restaurant.

Pinecrest's Peer Mediation Club, Ten-Ya, Mike Hess and Carolina Snow provided snacks and refreshments.

More than 200 people attended the event and were on hand to hear guest speaker Wade Hampton of Albemarle talk about his personal battle with tobacco.

Hampton, a volunteer with Survivors and Victims of Tobacco Empowerment (SAVE), began smoking as a teenager and underwent surgery for the removal of his voice box after he developed throat cancer in 1994. He says he now "lives a new life" as he shares his personal tobacco story with young people and state legislators.

For more information on the TRU Campaign, visit www.realityunfiltered.com. For information on tobacco cessation, call the QUITNOWNC!/National Tobacco Quitline at (800) QUITNOW. For information on FirstHealth's FirstQuit program, call (877) 342-2255.