The Village of Flossmoor hosted its annual National Night Out celebration on Tuesday, Aug. 1, bringing together residents and village officials for an evening of community engagement and fun.
Officer David Levy, one of the event organizers, underlined the value of National Night Out, characterizing it as a unique opportunity to interact with the community in a stress-free environment.
“National Night Out allows us to build a relationship with the community,” Levy said. He explained how the event enables law enforcement to meet the community members they serve in a safe way, outside of an emergency.
The Touch-a-Truck event featured numerous fire trucks, police vehicles and public works trucks, including the Vactor machine, which uses advanced technology to vacuum out sewer equipment that workers demonstrated for the community to see.
Free ice cream provided by UChicago Medicine allowed everyone to enjoy a delicious frozen treat. Meijer’s contributed 100 toys to be raffled off throughout the event.
Buona contributed to the event’s culinary delights by providing participants hot dogs, chips and drinks. The girls’ soccer team from Homewood-Flossmoor High School gave their time and artistic abilities to make lovely face paintings for the children.
Village officials connected with children and residents by passing out resources and goodies.
Lee Langon Jr. and his family, who have resided in Flossmoor for more than a decade, enjoyed exploring the village vehicles, the vintage yet still operable fire truck being a highlight of their evening.
“Tonight was fun hanging out with all the neighbors and public servants,” Langon said.
The Flossmoor Police Department set up tables to meet with residents, providing information on child safety. Meanwhile, some officers led participants on guided tours of the police station, providing insights into their daily operations, helping develop a sense of transparency and understanding of police work.
The Flossmoor Fire Department put on a dramatic presentation of a home fire timeline. Firefighters demonstrated how quickly a home may be engulfed in flames by setting household furniture on fire, underlining the significance of fire safety awareness.
Kids enjoyed participating in various activities such as chalk art, jumping in the bounce house, competing in horse races where they designed and raced their paper horses, and blowing bubbles at the bubble station.
“The kids loved the Vactor demo and my older two enjoyed the horse races,” Zach Swartz said as he marked his first National Night Out in Flossmoor.
Police Chief Jerel Jones emphasized the importance of National Night Out and the emphasis on community engagement. He explained how it’s about fostering the relationships within the village and the surrounding communities by connecting with them.
“One of my favorite things about National Night Out, which is one of the most important reasons as to why we are out here tonight, is community engagement. Being able to build stronger relationships with our communities,” Jones said.
