Local families are marking their calendars for the return of "Edina Unplugged" on Monday, March 12. On that day, students will return from school without homework, practices will be cancelled, and church events rescheduled.

Edina Unplugged organizers encourage families to reconnect by setting aside their busy schedules and electronic distractions, and doing something together.

It's year two for the event, and the inaugural campaign was a resounding success, said Marcia Friedman, volunteer coordinator.

"It went beyond anything we could have expected," said Friedman, a mother of two and a "very involved person in the community," according to Edina Public Schools Doug Johnson.

"She just kind of took the ball and ran with it," said Johnson, who proposed the idea of a "chill out" night.

Friedman, a self-proclaimed community volunteer, has helped blaze a path with Edina Unplugged, the award-winning night where Edina civic groups, including the school district and churches, put activities on the shelf to encourage families to reconnect.

The event, in fact, stemmed from a comment overheard by Johnson at an intergenerational event held in 2005. The discussion, which also spawned the "Edina Dialogue" series, brought forth a comment from a local teen asking everyone to "chill out."

"Adults were commenting on how busy their kids' lives were," Johnson recalled.

"Yet, here was this kid who said that, 'Well, adults were kind of the reason for it.' They were the one planning all of these activities and practices and everything else. So the calendar was just booked. And he said we all kind of needed a day to just chill."

Well, "chill out" night evolved into "Edina Unplugged," as Friedman and members of Johnson's team took things one step further. They asked for no television, computer use or cell phone use on the night.

"Families need an hour or two to just reconnect," Friedman said. "It's hard to do that when the phone is ringing all the time. So we said no calls, no text [messaging], nothing like that. And we played a game of pool. It was great."

The feedback from the community echoed Friedman's assessment, she said. Many asked when it would come around again.

Some wondered if the groups behind the Unplugged event, which include Edina Public Schools, the city of Edina, Chamber of Commerce, Connecting with Kids, Edina Community Foundation and the faith community, could put something together monthly.

"Like you need us to set a day aside for you every month?" Friedman joked. "People need to do that themselves."

Johnson said the "wheels will stop turning" in Edina once a year through this event, thanks to the cooperation of local organizations.

"You had to have these groups on board, otherwise it would never fly," Johnson said. "Fortunately, the idea was very well received. I think there was a bit of a relief that we could just take a night off. Everyone appreciated it. It's a grassroots success story."

And the idea is spreading. While Edina got the idea from groups in nearby places like Wayzata, out-of-state locations as far away as Wichita, Kan., have contacted Johnson about the event.

"It's a national phenomenon," Johnson said of the loss of free time for families. "This isn't just Edina."

For more information on the event, check out www.edinaunplugged.org. There will be ideas for family activities, including possible tips on various locations in Edina that will be running "Unplugged" specials. Last year, a local restaurant ran a dinner discount for Edina Unplugged participants.

"We're going after everybody," Friedman said. "It's going to be the kind of event where people just plan on not doing anything this night each year. It's already started."

Some wondered if the groups behind the Unplugged event, which include Edina Public Schools, the city of Edina, Chamber of Commerce, Connecting with Kids, Edina Community Foundation and the faith community, could put something together monthly.

"Like you need us to set a day aside for you every month?" Friedman joked. "People need to do that themselves."

Johnson said the "wheels will stop turning" in Edina once a year through this event, thanks to the cooperation of local organizations.

"You had to have these groups on board, otherwise it would never fly," Johnson said. "Fortunately, the idea was very well received. I think there was a bit of a relief that we could just take a night off. Everyone appreciated it. It's a grassroots success story."

And the idea is spreading. While Edina got the idea from groups in nearby places like Wayzata, out-of-state locations as far away as Wichita, Kan., have contacted Johnson about the event.

"It's a national phenomenon," Johnson said of the loss of free time for families. "This isn't just Edina."

For more information on the event, check out www.edinaunplugged.org. There will be ideas for family activities, including possible tips on various locations in Edina that will be running "Unplugged" specials. Last year, a local restaurant ran a dinner discount for Edina Unplugged participants.

"We're going after everybody," Friedman said. "It's going to be the kind of event where people just plan on not doing anything this night each year. It's already started."