When young people rally together behind a common idea, the possibilities are endless. Sixty students from Vicksburg High School and Warren Central High School have gotten a taste of that this year through the Chick-fil-A Leader Academy.

The students have overlooked their rivalry to partner and plan NERF Day, or Neat Exciting Really Fun Day, a family carnival for all ages held this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Warren Central High School.

“It’s going to be a really fun day,” district sponsor Connie West said. “We’re going to start off with both high school bands playing, we’ll have carnival games, bouncy houses, lots of food and at the end of the day there’s a mini color run for the kids.”

Admission is $5 per person or $3 per person with a family of four or more. All proceeds from NERF Day will be donated to homeless shelters in Warren County.

“It’s a great way for families in our community to get involved,” West said. “It’s a chance to work to raise awareness about the issue of homelessness in our community.”

West said Vicksburg Chick-fil-A owner Nick Jones approached the Vicksburg Warren School District about a leadership academy for high school students.

“We took 30 kids from each school and took them through leadership labs teaching them life skills,” she said. “Through the process, we have done different service projects to put the learning into action.”

At the end of the year, the students must complete an impact project, and to make sure the project was truly special, the students from Vicksburg High School and Warren Central High School reached out to one another to partner up for NERF Day.

Warren Central sponsor Eleanor Phillips said the program has been great.

“They’ve really learned how important it is to be active leaders,” she said. “It’s not about just sitting back and telling people what to do. A leader is out there to do and show people how to serve.”

Phillips said the students will very much be working to put on the carnival, working stands and coordinating the project from the conception to implementation.

“It’s been an awesome experience just watching them grow,” she said. “This group of kids is amazing, they really are.”