National Night Out will be celebrated at three Kenosha locations from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 2.

The locations for the event will be:

• McKinley Elementary School, 5520 32nd Avenue;
• Brass Community School, 6400 15th Avenue; and
• Wilson Elementary School, 4520 33rd Avenue.

“Knowing your neighbors IS gang prevention” will be the theme of the event, said Donna Rhodes, gang intervention supervisor for the county’s Division of Children and Family Services. The free event is being sponsored by the Kenosha County Division of Children and Family Services and the Kenosha Unified School District.

Each event will offer food, face painting, fun contests, games and prizes. Entertainment for the events includes music, magic, balloon animals and dancers. “All children must be accompanied by an adult to participate,” Rhodes said.

“The greatest deterrent to gang activity is to bring neighbors together,” Kenosha County Executive Jim Kreuser said. “This is a great opportunity for neighbors to meet neighbors and to become friends. National Night Out also builds community partnerships with agencies, law enforcement and the public.”

National Night Out, known as America’s Night Out Against Crime, is in its 28th year. An expected 37 million people in 15,000 communities from all 50 states, U.S. territories, Canadian cities and military bases world-wide will be celebrating the event.

National Night Out is designed to:

• Heighten crime and drug prevention awareness;
• Generate support for, and participation in, local anti-crime programs;
• Strengthen neighborhood spirit and police-community partnerships; and
• Send a message to criminals, letting them know that neighborhoods are organized and fighting back.

For more information about the local events, contact Rhodes at 262-605-6635.