By Dana Hudspeth, Media Relations Specialist
Chickasaw Nation Media Relations Office
Chickasaw Nation Lighthorse Police officer Michael Holloway with his son, 18-month-old Braden, at National Night Out.
Six-year-old Eli Alvarez, Ada, plays nutrition hop scotch at National Night Out at Chickasaw Nation Nutrition Services' booth.
ADA, OK – National Night Out 2009 drew several hundreds of local residents to the East Central University Campus last month, who came to honor emergency personnel and take a stand against crime.
Complete with the sound of live music and the smell of food, National Night Out is an annual event co-sponsored by the Chickasaw Nation, the city of Ada and East Central University. This year's event was conducted Tuesday, August 4.
About 700 people attended the event throughout the evening, making it one of the largest National Night Out celebrations in the state.
Jay Keel, Chickasaw Nation Youth and Family Division administrator, recognized all uniformed personnel in attendance for their hard work. Several Chickasaw Nation Lighthorse Police, search and rescue teams, and Ada Police and firefighters were in attendance.
"These people risk their own personal safety to make our quality of life better," he said.
Keel also lead the group in a prayer on behalf of all emergency responders.
National Night Out (NNO) began in 1984 as a means of increasing participation in neighbor watch groups.
"It's America's night to fight crime, take back the streets and send a message that this is a safe place and we enjoy this neighborhood," Chickasaw Nation Recreation Coordinator Matt Folsom said. "It's about recognizing local law enforcement and preventing crime."
The event is also about education and strengthening community bonds, he added.
Several Chickasaw Nation programs and services were represented at the event including: Nutrition Services, Martial Arts, Metal Mayhem, Chickasaw Firefighters and Search and Rescue, Lighthorse Police and several other tribal, state and university services.
The Chickasaw Nation Honor Guard opened the ceremonies and Little Miss Chickasaw Chelsea Wedlow welcomed the crowd with a performance of "The Lord’s Prayer."
Participation from several tribal divisions, departments and organizations is crucial to event's success year after year, said Folsom, who coordinates the event for the Chickasaw Nation.
Six-year-old Ada resident Eli Alvarez attended the event for the third time.
When asked about his favorite activity, he said "the moon bounce."
There were plenty of activities for both kids and adults, including, face painting, a football toss and a climbing wall. Children were also given items such as pencils and stick-on tattoos offered from the various agencies.
Also during the event, a National Night Out proclamation from Ada's Mayor, Roger Cupps was read and ECU president Dr. John Hargrave welcomed the crowd, reminding them of the colleges' 100-year partnership with the Chickasaw Nation.
The Ada NNO effort is one of the largest events in the state of Oklahoma; the event has also garnered six national awards by the National Association of Town Watch, the group that started the annual event.
