The Mecklenburg Amateur Radio Society will officially kick off the annual American Radio Relay
League (ARRL) Field Day Weekend at 2:00 PM ET. The radio operators will spend the next 24 hours contacting stations throughout America and Canada as they would if there was a need to relay important information on behalf of our served agencies such as the American Red Cross and Mecklenburg County Emergency Management.

During a 24-hour period, local club members will operate radios using mainly emergency power
and equipment – much like hams do in countless emergencies across the country and around
the world. When disasters strike, public safety professionals depend on amateur radio
operators to provide auxiliary emergency communications. Despite the development of today's very complex and modern communications systems, ham radio has been called into action again and again to provide communications during disasters when it matters the most.

There are opportunities for visitors to "get on the air" and contact other stations. Especially good for STEM students.