In an effort to prevent underage drinking, the Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control recently awarded seven community coalition grants totaling more than $60,000. For the fourth year, Rockingham Memorial Hospital was one of the places to get one.

Cindy Reeves, the coordinator of health education and awareness for RMH community health, says the grant has helped prevent underage drinking in her community.

"In 1996, 34 percent of kids said they had never had anything to drink. By 2007, it was up to 54 percent. So the work we've been doing over the last ten to 12 years is working and its making a difference in our community," says Reeves.

The $10,000 they received is for alcohol education and enforcement initiatives, and RMH already has plans for the money, including television commercials put together by the Harrisonburg Rockingham Youth Council, bus ads, and table tent information they will send out to restaurants. However their efforts won't stop there.

"We have to do Project Sticker Shock, which is putting stickers on cases of beer and that sort of thing in stores where they're sold just reminding people it's illegal to buy alcohol for anyone under the age of 21," says Reeves.

RMH is also doing a campaign called "Parents Who Host Lose the Most" to educate parents about not serving alcohol to their underage kids and their friends.