Night of Hope Records Successful Event

Legion Park was the gathering place Friday, Aug. 13, as Sidney's Night of Hope returned to its annual location.

The Night of Hope is an event to support those in treatment for cancer, and to remember those who fought the battle and lost. Proceeds from the event support local patients.

The event is more of a community celebration with the popcorn and hot dogs, friends walking the perimeter of the pond while others are setting the free barbecue dinner. On the other side of the pond, volunteers are busy setting the silent auction while encouraging bidders to take their chance. On the west side of the pond, the Chair-ity auction had the latest in fashioned functional art. And for those who walked too much, or just needed a nice moment of relaxation, massages were offered for $1 per minute; donated to the night.

The Chair-ity auction is an event where entries are to focus on a chair or bench; after that, the donor can be as functional or artsy as they choose.

This year was described by many attendees as a return to normal after a year of restrictions on social interaction.

Usually, there is a specific person or agency credited for leading the charge for making the Night of Hope a success. This year, choosing a specific person or business is difficult, according to coordinator Brenda Noel.

"I can't pick just one," she said.

The top three teams together generated more than $10,000. Team Steph took first place in fundraising with more than $4,000, followed by Team Fox at $3,716 and Escape With Michelle at $2,397.45.

The Junkyard Dogs, a regional motorcycle group of about 400 members, donated $1,500 to the Night of Hope on their 15th year of donating to local charities.

This year's event brought in new people as well as the faithful, according to Noel. She said the barbecue dinner served more than 350 people, an they usually plan for 300.

"We had a lot of new faces, new enthusiasm, which was really refreshing," she said.

Noel is already looking forward to the 2022 event. It is the Night of Hope's 20th anniversary in Sidney.

"We're looking to do things different next year," she said.