North Cook News

Niles Township residents are being encouraged to show their support for the township’s first responders through visual displays and kind gestures via an initiative from the Niles Township Regular Republican Organization (NTRRO).

"The police are there whenever we need help, so we should be there for them,"  Their job is one of the most difficult jobs imaginable,” Joe Hedrick, a Niles Township Republican committeeman and Morton Grove resident, said. “Let's make the effort to show our first responders how much we appreciate all they do to protect our families and communities.”

Some of the visual gestures encouraged by the NTRRO include tying blue and red ribbons around properties, installing blue light bulbs in exterior light fixtures and hanging strings of blue and red LED lights on homes.

The group is also encouraging residents to deliver "thank you" notes to their local fire and police stations, approach police officers and firefighters to say thanks and do things for police officers and firefighters they see throughout the day, like buying their meals.

"We are hoping our neighboring villages will take notice of what we are doing in Niles Township and duplicate our efforts,” Hedrick said. “This will lead to a boost in community spirit and help to bring residents and public servants together.”