Residents, City Council Members, police officers, firefighters and local officials united Tuesday night to promote public safety and fitness during National Night Out.

Hundreds of people gathered with their neighbors to host block parties, and this year, as the City participates in a statewide health initiative—the Healthy at H-E-B Community Challenge—many communities incorporated a healthy aspect in their events.

Citizens mixed and mingled during their crime prevention gatherings and many shared healthy snacks including Subway sandwiches and fruit and vegetable trays. Police officers, firefighters and City Council Members visited block parties, reminding homeowners of the importance of getting to know their neighbors and making sure their homes are safe.

National Night Out correlated perfectly with the healthy challenge, which encourages health and fitness in all aspects of life, and Missouri City continues to be a strong contender a month into the competition.

The “Show Me City” is currently in second place in its category (cities with populations ranging from 0-100,000) in the Healthy at H-E-B Community Challenge. For the past few weeks, the Show Me City has trailed the City of Pflugerville, however; each has owned the No. 1 spot for short intervals.

To engage citizens, Missouri City has some fun and exciting events planned as part of its participation. All residents are encouraged to take part in:

First Annual Fire & Rescue Services Open House
Saturday, Oct. 6 at Fire Station 1
9 a.m. to 1 p.m. | Event Details

Missouri City Police Officers Association’s Kids’ 5K Zombie Dash
Saturday, Oct. 27 at the Missouri City Police Department
7 a.m. | Event Details

Tricks & Treats in the Park
Saturday, Oct. 27 at Buffalo Run Park
5 p.m. to 7 p.m. | Event Details

Residents are encouraged to visit the Challenge website to sign up and share their healthy activities, thereby building our community’s overall score. An email address is the only requirement to sign up. Watch this video to see details on how to register.

Missouri City kicked off its participation in the program on Saturday, Sept. 15, with a Health Fair and Tennis Play Day that attracted about 200 people of all ages to its new Recreation and Tennis Center. City officials were also on hand to support the initiative: Mayor Allen Owen, Mayor Pro Tem Jerry Wyatt and Council Members Danny Nguyen and Floyd Emery visited with the guests.

Visitors were treated to cooking demonstrations, a farmers market, fitness classes, XBOX 360 Fitness, massages and spinal checks. H-E-B Sienna’s pharmacy also gave flu shots. Among the other vendors were H-E-B Sienna Market, Houston Community College-Missouri City Campus, and Sienna Modern Dentistry.

“With this event, Missouri City and its partners took a giant step in encouraging citizens to be active and to live a healthy lifestyle,” Director of Parks & Recreation Larry Foos said.

To follow the City’s progress in the Challenge, visit the City website: www.missouricitytx.gov, join the Twitter conversation #ItsTimeMCTX and watch Missouri City Television (Ch. 16 on Comcast and Ch. 99 on AT&T U-verse).