Jim Strickland mans the phones at his Poplar Plaza campaign headquarters a day before election day.

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By Jennifer Pignolet of The Commercial Appeal

If your phone rings during dinner tonight, don't be insulted. It could be the mayor calling.

Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland and several other local politicians and celebrities will participate in a phone bank from 5:30 to 7:30 tonight to encourage school attendance.

Strickland, Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell, District Attorney Amy Weirich, Memphis Police Interim Director Michael Rallings, Grammy Award-winning producer Lawrence "Boo" Mitchell and others will call families with school-age children to raise awareness of the importance of on-time enrollment and consistent school attendance.

Volunteers will continue making calls through Thursday.

The event is similar to the "Represent Every Day" attendance campaign Shelby County Schools launched before last school year, which included wake-up robo calls from Grizzlies player Tony Allen on the first day of school.

PeopleFirst Partnership, a nonprofit partner in that initiative and the live calling event, said in a release that the celebrity callers will be able to "help address any barriers or concerns that may cause students to miss school."

The first day of school is Aug. 8.