Youth Voice, the organization formed to encourage young people to participate in the political process, is planning a wine tasting to raise funds for its programs.
Danielle Costella agreed a wine tasting sounds a bit funny for a group dealing with voters as young as 18, but said only adults are invited to the Dec. 8 event.
"We know we have to reach out to adults as well so they'll support us," she said.
Greg Bailor said the group wants to develop partnerships with all segments of the community to help encourage young people to vote.
The organization was formed by a group of Carson City high school and college students to increase interest and participation in the political process by voters 18 to 25, a group that traditionally has the lowest voter turnout in state and local elections. After forming earlier this year, they sponsored - with campus young Democrats and young Republicans - a debate between gubernatorial candidates Jim Gibbons and Dina Titus, followed by a debate between Carson City School Board candidates.
Youth Voice organizers emphasize they are nonprofit and nonpartisan, that their goal is to encourage political participation by all young people of voting age.
Danielle Costella said the idea is to raise money to support future events, including a workshop this spring for high school juniors and seniors from Northern Nevada schools on how to become more involved politically.
She and Bailor said other ideas in the works are an essay contest where winners would receive cash toward scholarships and a legislative "shadow day" where younger people would follow lawmakers around and watch them work during the 2007 Legislature.
The wine tasting at the Northern Nevada Children's Museum, they said, is designed to introduce adults to the group and its goals.
If you go
What: Youth Voice wine tasting
Where: Northern Nevada Children's Museum
When: 7-10 p.m. Dec. 8
Price: $25 apiece or $40 per couple
Call: 884-2226 or 220-0420
• Contact reporter Geoff Dornan at gdornan@nevadaappeal.com or 687-8750.