Kids invited to enter National Night Out art contest

Kids in the Des Plaines and Park Ridge area are invited to submit artwork for a National Night Out poster contest.

The annual competition is being run by Maine Township officials ahead of the Aug. 4 National Night Out gathering.

The theme of the artwork should be “Together we shine brighter than crime,” according to a news release from the township. Contestants should share their visions of a safer community.

The contest is open to kids who live in Maine Township or who attend school or summer camp in the township. Awards will be given for top entries in different age groups, a township representative said.

Entries should be on poster board that measures 28-inches-by-22-inches. Artists can use any two-dimensional visual media. Posters can contain text as well as pictures.

Submission forms are available online at mainetown.com. Required submission information should be affixed to the backs of entries.

Posters can be submitted by teachers or directly by students by mailing them to: Maine Township Town Hall, 1700 Ballard Road, Park Ridge, IL 60068.

The judges will accept one poster per child.

Entries are due by July 17.

Winners will receive $25 Target gift cards and trophies at Maine Township’s National Night Out event, which is set to run from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at Dee Park, 9229 W. Emerson St., near Des Plaines.

Officially launched in 1984, National Night Out aims to promote community partnerships with police. More than 17,000 communities across the U.S. hold National Night Out gatherings, including 164 in Illinois.

Activities are staged the first Tuesday in August in Illinois and most states; some communities hold events in October.