The Minneapolis Police Department will present awards to 14 block clubs and recognize one volunteer for outstanding work in helping children in the city during a ceremony tonight at St. Mary's Greek Orthodox Church.
Block clubs, outstanding volunteer to be honored by Minneapolis police tonight
Abia Isse Ali, a resident in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood, will be honored with the Ruhland Youth Award. That award is given annually to a volunteer who lives in Minneapolis and has worked to involve youths in safety education, crime prevention and solving issues affecting the community.
The award is named in memory of Teresa Sheehy Ruhland, who worked in the department's Community Crime Prevention Unit and died in 2000.
Ali, 38, will receive a $250 gift card, an engraved plaque and have her name added to a plaque hanging in the department's Third Precinct Community Room.
The Building Blocks award is presented annually to active and effective neighborhood block clubs in the city. The winning clubs are singled out for demonstrating how they work with police to prevent crime, tackle neighborhood issues and promote relationship building with neighbors.
The ceremony will begin at 7 p.m. at the church, 3450 Irving Av. S, Minneapolis.
Minnesota soared past its 2016 early vote total on Thursday, with five days of early voting remaining.