FARMINGTON — An online trivia night event that is part of a statewide campaign designed to encourage young people to avoid tobacco and nicotine products will feature a live performance by Farmington singer Chevel Shepherd.
The virtual event takes place at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 29 and is presented by the No More New Mexico program. It features four rounds of pub-style trivia questions, and offers raffles, door prizes and Shepherd performing material from her recently released debut EP, "Everybody's Got a Story."
Participation is free and is open to the first 200 people who register at NoMoreNM.com/register.
No More New Mexico is a program funded by the New Mexico Department of Health and launched by the Albuquerque Native-owned firm Keres Consulting Inc. in July 2019. Company spokesperson Lesley Meyer said the campaign had been focused on holding live, in-person events before the COVID-19 pandemic began, but the trivia night event is its first attempt at taking its message to an online audience.
"With COVID, we were looking for a safe environment for young adults to gather," she said.
The event will showcase the campaign's partnership with Shepherd, the Farmington High School graduate who rose to fame as the winner of season 15 of NBC-TV's "The Voice." Shepherd has shot a pair of public service announcements — one that is 15 seconds long and another that is 30 seconds in length — as part of the campaign, and Meyer said the spots can be found on social media and on the Hulu streaming service.
Shepherd will perform live at the conclusion of Thursday's event, which will be staged using TriviaHub software. Meyer said the campaign is aimed at New Mexicans in the 18 to 29 age range, but anyone in the state is welcome to take part in the competition.
No More New Mexico aims to serve as a clearinghouse for information for young adult tobacco and nicotine users who are looking to quit, Meyer said.
"If they want to learn about the consequences and impacts, we can help," she said.
Keres Consulting received a four-year contract from the health department in 2019 to mount the campaign, she said. The company is measuring the success of the effort by charting such metrics as downloads of an app that helps people quit using tobacco and nicotine products, the number of likes and engagements it receives for its social media platforms, and visits to its website, according to Meyer.