{"id":40219,"date":"2026-06-12T20:05:39","date_gmt":"2026-06-13T01:05:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/unitedresourceconnection.org\/cannon-ball-nd-58528\/star-village-neighbors-light-up-the-night\/"},"modified":"2026-06-12T20:06:01","modified_gmt":"2026-06-13T01:06:01","slug":"star-village-neighbors-light-up-the-night","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/unitedresourceconnection.org\/cannon-ball-nd-58528\/star-village-neighbors-light-up-the-night\/","title":{"rendered":"Star Village neighbors Light Up The Night"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"Volunteers<\/a><\/p>\n

Volunteers from Fountain Springs Church worked throughout the day on improvement projects, including building a shed for the neighborhood\u2019s tool lending library and installing new lighting in the Star Village Community Garden. (Photo by Tyler Reed)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

RAPID CITY \u2014 Star Village neighbors and community partners spent Wednesday strengthening connections and improving public safety during a full day of activities at the Light Up The Night event Wednesday, June 10.<\/p>\n

The celebration featured a parade, games, food, youth programming and volunteer projects focused on making the neighborhood brighter and safer. The event was funded through the Mayor\u2019s Love Your Block Grant and held in conjunction with Fountain Springs Church\u2019s Love Your Neighbor Week.<\/p>\n

Volunteers worked throughout the day on improvement projects, including building a shed for the neighborhood\u2019s tool lending library and installing new lighting in the Star Village Community Garden. Black Hills Energy crews repaired seven light poles and added LED fixtures across the area to increase visibility after dark.<\/p>\n

Kelly Oakley, outreach director for Fountain Springs Church, said the event gave residents and partners a chance to connect in meaningful ways.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a><\/p>\n

The Good Stuffed food truck at Light Up The Night in Star Village. (Photo by Journey On)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cPeople always want to help, and they just don\u2019t know how,\u201d Oakley said. \u201cWe give them opportunities to slow down, take a look at what\u2019s going on in our community, and get plugged in. It meets tangible needs, but it\u2019s also about building relationships.\u201d<\/p>\n

As evening approached, families gathered around food trucks for dinner, with children lining up for ice cream while adults sampled burgers and fries. Youth activities earlier in the day included tipi teaching, a poster decorating contest and reflective tape installation on bicycles and helmets. The Rapid City Area Schools Food Truck served lunch to youth, guardians and elders.<\/p>\n

For many families, the parade that followed was the highlight of the day. Star Village community member Christopher Alexander Pi\u00f1a (Wacante Ognaka Wicasa), who served as Grand Marshal, said the procession reflected a deeper shift happening in the neighborhood.<\/p>\n

\u201cServing as the Grand Marshal for the procession was an absolute honor, but the true beauty of the evening lay in the unity on display,\u201d Pi\u00f1a said. \u201cLooking out across the crowd, the spirit of collaboration was undeniable.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Mayor<\/a><\/p>\n

Mayor Jason Solomon at Light Up The Night Event in Star Village. (Photo by Christopher Pi\u00f1a)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

He noted the presence of key community leaders walking alongside residents. \u201cLeading the way with our relatives were Mayor Jason Salamun, Rapid City Police Chief Don Hedrick, and the dedicated team from Journey On,\u201d he said. \u201cWalking shoulder to shoulder with us in solidarity was also Native Sun News Editor in Chief Ernestine Chasing Hawk, documenting a moment where leadership was defined not by authority, but by presence and prayer.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pi\u00f1a said the most meaningful moment of the night came not at the front of the parade, but when he stepped away from the spotlight and sat at the drum with Delaney Apple.<\/p>\n

\u201cI felt a wave of nervousness at first \u2014 sitting at the drum is a sacred responsibility,\u201d he said. \u201cBut the moment I joined that circle, the nervousness dissolved into a pure sense of belonging.\u201d He described each beat as vibrating through him, adding, \u201cIt felt as though we were making the stars dance above Star Village.\u201d<\/p>\n

Star Village resident Ernestine Chasing Hawk, who regularly brings her grandsons to Love Your Block activities, said the event reflects the pride she feels in her neighborhood.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love living in Star Village, and I believe I have the most beautiful view of the city from my deck,\u201d Chasing Hawk said. \u201cI want my grandchildren to enjoy their neighborhood and be part of the community. These events help foster that.\u201d <\/p>\n

Her grandsons \u201cloved the ice cream,\u201d she added, while she enjoyed a mushroom burger with mozzarella sprinkled fries. Earlier this spring, her family also participated in the community garden planting, and on Wednesday they joined the parade of lights as children shook glow boxes and wore glow necklaces and bracelets. Several youth received new bike helmets as families moved together through the illuminated streets. <\/p>\n

For Pi\u00f1a, the night carried a deeper meaning. \u201cTo sit at the drum and share the heartbeat of the people \u2014 that\u2019s what leadership really is,\u201d he said. \u201cTonight wasn\u2019t just a community event. Tonight was healing.\u201d<\/p>\n

The event was hosted in partnership with the Rapid City Police Department, Journey On, Black Hills Energy and several other community organizations. <\/p>\n

The post Star Village neighbors Light Up The Night<\/a> first appeared on Native Sun News Today<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Visit Original Source<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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Volunteers from Fountain Springs Church worked throughout the day on improvement projects, including building a shed for the neighborhood\u2019s tool lending library and installing new lighting in the Star Village Community Garden. (Photo by Tyler Reed) RAPID CITY \u2014 Star Village neighbors and community partners spent Wednesday strengthening connections and <\/p>\n

Read More<\/a>
Shared by Native Sun News Today<\/a> June 12, 2026<\/p>\n

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