National Night Out - October 6
National Night Out is Tuesday, October 6, 2009. Neighborhoods throughout Austin, and the Nation, are invited to participate in the 26th Annual National Night Out. Residents are asked to turn on their porch lights and spend the evening outside with the neighbors. Past neighborhood events include potluck dinner/supper from 6-9 p.m. or desserts from 7-9 p.m. The purpose of NNO is to strengthen neighborhood connections and awareness -- "eyes and ears on the neighborhood."
National Night Out is designed to:
- Increase awareness of neighborhood surroundings;
- Generate support and participation in crime prevention efforts;
- Strengthen neighborhood spirit and police community relations; and
- Send the message that the neighborhood is a safe place to live.
OWANA has submitted an application to Austin Police Department to register our participation in National Night Out. We have requested either a police officer, fire fighters, or EMS personnel to attend some of the block parties, but there is no guarantee that we will receive a visit because there are typically over 400 community parties that evening. Even our police contact and the crews at the Blanco Street Fire House may be scheduled elsewhere.
If you are interested in hosting and/or organizing a National Night Out event for your street and/or surrounding streets, and need some assistance or ideas, please contact Christine Buendel, Chair, Neighborhood Activities, at c_buendel@yahoo.com.