Thousands of Eden Prairie residents gathered with friends and neighbors Tuesday to continue the summer tradition of celebrating the City's Night to Unite.

“This event continues to grow bigger and better each year,” said Eden Prairie Chief of Police Jim DeMann. “We appreciate the residents who welcomed us to their parties, offered us water and took a few minutes to chat with us.”

This year, residents of Eden Prairie planned 146 neighborhood gatherings for the Night to Unite event, with many neighborhoods collecting donations for PROP (People Reaching Out to People). In all, participating neighborhoods collected almost 8,000 pounds of food and more than $1,100!

“The food drive for PROP has become an important part of Night to Unite,” said DeMann. “You know you live in an exceptional city when its residents are so willing to support others in their community.”

Representatives from the Eden Prairie Police and Fire departments, as well as several City officials, made stops at each of the local gatherings. And once again this year, the Police and Fire departments committed to hosting an ice cream social for the neighborhood with the largest volume of donations to PROP.

The winner of this year’s contest to collect the most food is the Round Lake Road neighborhood with 672 pounds of food. To celebrate their generosity, they will receive an ice cream social party including a visit from McGruff, Sparky and other city officials. The event will also include a bounce house donated by the Eden Prairie Kinderberry Hill Child Development Center.