Families First NC Inc., a United Way agency, is gearing up for its second annual Flip Flops and Flamingos Summer Kickoff event Sunday at 5 p.m. at the Heritage Room on East Council Street.

Tickets for the 21 and up event are available for $10 at the door. Festivities include live music by MidLife Crisis, a catered dinner, ice cream by Spanky’s, a cash bar by New Sarum Brewing Co. and Dover Vineyards, and a silent auction.

The competitive silent auction includes items like autographed NASCAR gear, a guided kayak trip, a one-month YMCA family membership and four rounds of golf at Corbin Hills. It is open to all community members interested in supporting or learning more about the Families First agency.

“Flip Flops and Flamingos received rave reviews from those who attended last year, motivating us to make it an annual fundraising event,” said Jeannie Sherrill, executive director of Families First. “The support and encouragement we continually receive from our sponsors, board members, volunteers and attendees is incredible. We, as a United Way agency, lean on their commitment and funding to strengthen families across the Rowan community through information, education, prevention and support services.”

Families First is able to sustain and grow its educational and teen parenting programs, as well as its court-based services, thanks to the donors at the individual, local, state and federal levels.

The agency’s education programs include Second Step, a social-emotional learning and bullying prevention model; Strengthening Families, and Families and Schools Together, programs designed to strengthen parent-child relationships, improve family cohesion and promote healthy communication. The Incredible Years, a model that strengthens parenting skills, helps parents cope with personal stressors and maintains a parent support network.

Teen parenting programs include Good Beginnings for Teen Parents, a school-based program that promotes positive parenting and child development through teen parent classes; and Teen Parenting Program Initiative, a case management and home-based service devised to encourage high school graduation and child development.

Families First also provides court-based services, which include Families First Court Child Care Center and Visitation Station. Located at the Rowan County Courthouse, the Court Child Care Center provides a safe and nurturing place for children while parents conduct business in the courthouse. The Visitation Station serves as a safe place for exchanges and supervised visits between children and a non-custodial parent or family member.

“These vital programs and services have benefitted thousands in the Rowan area since our founding three decades ago in 1986,” said Sherrill. “And recently, Families First reached another milestone. We received our national accreditation from the Council on Accreditation, which designates the agency as meeting the highest national standards of professional performance.”

To learn more about Families First, join in the kickoff festivities this Sunday or to schedule a speaker for your group, call Families First at 704-630-0481.