National Night Out in Wilmington Tuesday

By: 
Staff Report

The Wilmington Police Department and the Wilmington Coalition for a Healthy Community will host their first National Night Out against crime event on Tuesday, Aug. 1, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., in the South Island Park.
National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make neighborhoods safer, better places to live. It enhances the relationship between neighbors and law enforcement and fosters a true sense of community.
Communities and neighborhoods host block parties, cookouts, parades, contests, youth activities, and visits with local officers and emergency responders.
Officer Tony Ritz, a retired Worth Police Department officer who now works part-time for the Wilmington force, has lined up tons of free family fun for the evening.
Participants will get to meet their local police officers, including the canine cop Mao, firefighters and emergency services responders, and tour their vehicles.
There will be games where kids compete against cops, face painting by Sheri Winkelmann’s Wink Productions, balloons and balloon animals by Diane Porto, and the Christian Life Assembly is sponsoring a bounce house.
DJ Dan Dicaro and Night Out Productions will provide music. The National Guard and the Will County Sheriff’s Department’s SWAT team will make an appearance.
Berkot’s Super Foods is providing hamburgers, Dietz & Watson donated hot dogs, and Grillin’ for Freedom will do the cooking. The Coalition will serve popcorn and the Lions Club is handing out snow cones.
There is long list of free raffle prizes, including gift certificates for Wilmington House Restaurant, AJs Hot Dogs, Nelly’s, New China, Haydens Crossing, Faletti Meats and Normington’s General Store; a gift basket from Ultimate Thrift Store; a door prize from the Trinity Services Barkery and a door prize from US Bank; an action camera donated by Ace Hardware and complete car detail packages donated by Wilmington Collision.
Ritz expects to have more activities lined up and more prizes to give away by next week.