National Night Out Strengthens Community Ties in Woodridge Forest

Hundreds of Woodridge Forest residents attended a recent National Night Out celebration, an event that brought out officials from six public service agencies. Previously scheduled in October, the event attracted double the number of attendees as the previous year. "The event was a huge success with around 600 attendees," said Sarah Herd, Community Ambassador for Woodridge Forest. "This is only our second National Night Out, but it has already become something that residents and law enforcement really look forward to." National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes police and community partnerships with the goal of making neighborhoods safer. Herd organized the event, which featured members of the Montgomery County Constables Office, the Porter Fire Department, the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office, Montgomery County Hospital District, Houston ATF and Air 1 medical. In addition to learning what local officers and first responders do, residents were able to explore a number of emergency vehicles including patrol cars, a SWAT truck, a fire engine, an ambulance and a K-9 unit. "This year we were able to fly in an Air Med 1 helicopter, which really turned out to be a favorite," Herd said. "Residents were able to climb in and see what it was like inside — something that under normal circumstances they would never be able to do." Other activities included bounce houses, a coloring station, and prize drawings. A variety of vendors were on hand, as well as Mingos Latin Food Truck. Silly Fotos snapped complimentary photos. The night ended with residents relaxing on the community event lawn for a showing of the movie "Captain Underpants." National Night Out is just one of 15 events Herd plans each year for Woodridge Forest, with the goal of bringing residents closer together. "The events offered in Woodridge Forest and having Sarah as our community ambassador creates another great amenity offered here," said Jaime Virkus, marketing director for Concourse Companies, developer of Woodridge Forest. "These events really tie us together, making neighbors more neighborly and tightly knit as a whole." On Dec. 1, the community will kick off the holiday season with a Letters to Santa event encouraging children to drop off their holiday wish lists in an old-fashioned mailbox. They will get a personalized letter back from Santa. Another anticipated event is "Milk and Cookies with Santa" on Dec. 16 featuring a hot chocolate bar, holiday activities and photos with Santa Claus. A holiday light contest rounds out the festivities. Woodridge Forest is located one mile east of Highway 59 in the Kingwood area of Houston. The 332-acre community is a member of the Kingwood Service Association. Residents also enjoy their own community center, resort-style pool and stocked fishing ponds. Young residents attend award-winning schools in the rapidly growing New Caney Independent School District, including on-site Woodridge Forest Middle School. Read more about the event in The Tribune newspaper athttps://ourtribune.com/community/national-night-out-strengthens-community-ties-in-woodridge-forest.html