Join Sun City Huntley's National Night Out Aug. 1
Sun City Huntley's Neighbors Helping Neighbors/ Neighborhood Watch will host its 15th annual National Night Out from 3:15 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 1, at Eakin Creek Ball Field on Sun City Boulevard in Sun City Huntley.
The main event is a seven-inning softball game between the Huntley Fire Protection District and the Huntley Police Department.
This year's National Night Out includes a brief ceremony with Police Chief Robert Porter, Fire Chief Ken Caudle, and other speakers.
Hot dogs, cold drinks and potato chips will be served after the game. There will also be a 50/50 raffle after the game.
National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign started 34 years ago by National Association of Town Watch that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make our neighborhoods safer, more caring places to live.
It enhances the relationship between neighbors and law enforcement while bringing back a true sense of community. Furthermore, it provides a great opportunity to bring police and neighbors together under positive circumstances.
Last year, 38 million neighbors took part in National Night Out across 16,000 communities from all 50 states, U.S. territories, Canadian cities, and military bases worldwide on the first Tuesday in August (Texas celebrates on the first Tuesday in October).
Neighborhoods host block parties, festivals, parades, cookouts and various other community events with safety demonstrations, seminars, youth events, visits from emergency personnel, exhibits and more.
There are 43 Neighbors Helping Neighbor/Neighborhood Watch groups in Sun City Huntley with about 75 percent of those now certified by the Huntley Police Department for at least one year, many for multiple years.
Recertification is an enhancement to the national standard established by Sun City Huntley to assure that new residents of Sun City Huntley are included in and understand the benefits of the program and to make sure documentation remains current. In addition, neighbors help each other in many ways, not only looking out for suspicious incidents or crime.
Sun City Neighbors Helping Neighbor/Neighborhood Watch has a calling tree that can inform all 5,000 homes in the community of important police alerts about crime or emergencies.
Block captains also visit people with physical or mental disabilities who can't get out to let them know what's going on and make sure they have what they need.
Come on out and enjoy the game, meet your neighbors, police officers and village officials, and eat a hot dog. Following Chicago tradition, ketchup will not be served, except for the kids.
It will begin at 3:15 p.m. with the Sun City Marine Corps Color Guard. The Sun Tones will sing the national anthem at 3:20 p.m.
The baseball game between Huntley's first responders will begin at 3:30 p.m.
At 4 p.m., the Sun City Railroad Club opens its train exhibits.
Immediately after the game, there will be a 50/50 raffle. Afterward, enjoy hot dogs and potato chips, provided by Jewel-Osco; water by Costco; and ice cream, provided by the Huntley Knights of Columbus.
At 4:30 p.m., the Gray Rock Band will perform for your dancing enjoyment, sponsored by Heartland Bank.
The group welcomes the event newest sponsor, RE/MAX Unlimited Northwest in Huntley.