An estimated 200 to 300 people came to Glenview to attend this year’s National Night Out, a free community gathering presented by the Glenview Police Department and the Glenview Park District.
The Aug. 4 event took place mostly in the Attea Bus Lot at Attea Middle School along Gallery Park, with jump inflatables for kids inside the Park Center at 2400 Chestnut Avenue, Glenview.
The two-hour event sunny 80-degree weather.
According to National Night Out’s website, the event is, “a national community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships.”
Glenview Chief of Police Mark Ciesla said, “This is a great opportunity for the community to interact with police, first responders, kind of the end of the summer…as a summer event before school starts.
“It’s just another event within Glenview and within the nation for people to interact with the community and understand the bond that the government and our community have with each other and how we’re all interconnected,” Ciesla said.
“I just appreciate everybody coming out and showing support for us,” Ciesla added.
Kara Graber, the park district’s visual arts and recreation supervisor, said about National Night Out that, “It’s a free community event just to bring everybody together, see all of our different community partnerships with the police, the park district and the village and just a night of fun.
“It’s one of our last nice summer nights to be out and about, (and) just enjoy everything before school starts again,” Graber said.
For the Moore family of Glenview, school for their grade-schoolers starts on Aug. 20.
“I can’t believe there’s only two weeks left (before school starts),” said Susie Moore, the parent of Lucy, 1, Penny, 6, a rising first-grader, and Abby, 8, a rising third-grader.
“I feel like July just started last week but it’s August now,” she said.
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Approximately 20 community providers staffed tables with giveaways such as educational leaflets, toys and treats. Event-goers could purchase food from vendors, including a food truck.
Lydia Raabe, youth services librarian for the Glenview Public Library, engaged with patrons stopping by the library’s table.
“The Glenview Public Library is an important part of our community and we support all of our public servants in our community that make Glenview a great place to live and work and have fun,” Raabe said.
The K9 demonstration by Illinois State Police canines was popular with attendees. The dogs are trained under the direction of their police officer handlers.
K9 Arlo, 5, a male German shepherd, and K9 Atlas, 4, a male Belgian malinois breed, demonstrated their skills inside a fenced area with their handlers.
K9 Arlo showed how he could sniff out boxes with the scent of illegal substances and K9 Atlas displayed how he could apprehend a suspect.
As the K9 demonstration was taking place, a festive helicopter flyover had people looking up to the skies.
For Carrie Platt of Glenview, the parent of Theo, 1, National Night Out engages children of all ages to become more familiar and comfortable with first responders should they need assistance.
“It’s important for us to teach him (Theo) that the police and firemen are our friends,” she said. “And so we want to instill that in him in the beginning.”