| The Sun-Times Serving Williamsville and Sherman |
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Halo tournament a success
By Linda Hughes
The Williamsville Community Center was alive with activity Saturday as young people competed in the Halo
3 videogame tournament, the kickoff of the new police and youth interaction program.
The tournament, Hang with a Cop, drew almost 40 teams on Saturday and eight more teams on Sunday.
The youths came not only from Williamsville and Sherman, but also from Springfield and Athens, and
ranged in age from junior high to college.
“Age doesn’t matter,” Police Chief Richard Edwards said.
The purpose of the program is to build positive relations between police and kids, hopefully to prevent
some juvenile crime.
Edwards said Saturday that while he knew most of the youths involved in the games, the event had helped
already.
“I’ve talked with kids who are not talkative to the police,” he said.
Planners announced an entry fee, but they received so many donations they decided it was not necessary.
Large screen TVs came from Rent-a-Center in Lincoln at a cheap rate, Edwards said.
Best Buy and Circuit City also donated equipment. Other donations came from Meijer, Shopko, Wal-Mart in
Springfield and Lincoln, Kroger in Lincoln and the Williamsville Community Foundation. Participants and
onlookers had plenty of pizza, chips and pop to snack on.
DeVry University in Chicago heard about the tournament and sent materials for young people interested in
game development.
“Several kids are really interested,” Edwards said. “It probably got (them) future college kids.”
The chief said his son Colton Edwards got him interested in the game.
“I play this game a lot with my son,” he stated.
Edwards and Mayor Bill McCarty played the winners on Sunday and expected to lose.
“We’re not going to last too long. I’ve seen some of the winners,” Edwards said Saturday.
Following the tournament, McCarty called the response “tremendous” from parents and kids alike.
“It was a good kickoff,” he said.
It accomplished good, as the police chef interacted with youths. Other officers dropped by and did the
same.
“Getting cops and kids together – it worked,” the mayor commented.
He has already received questions about when the next event will be.
Top tournament winners were: First place: Team Shutdown (Tyler Nunez, Bryan Tompkins); Second: C.O.B.
(Derek Thompson, Tyler Lowery); Third: Added Effect (Sean Mullen, Michael Boyer); Fourth: Final Boss (Dustin
Dyas, Riley Hoffman); and Fifth: Crouching Masterchiefs (Brian Irwin, Colton Edwards).
By Linda Hughes
The Williamsville Community Center was alive with activity Saturday as young people competed in the Halo
3 videogame tournament, the kickoff of the new police and youth interaction program.
The tournament, Hang with a Cop, drew almost 40 teams on Saturday and eight more teams on Sunday.
The youths came not only from Williamsville and Sherman, but also from Springfield and Athens, and
ranged in age from junior high to college.
“Age doesn’t matter,” Police Chief Richard Edwards said.
The purpose of the program is to build positive relations between police and kids, hopefully to prevent
some juvenile crime.
Edwards said Saturday that while he knew most of the youths involved in the games, the event had helped
already.
“I’ve talked with kids who are not talkative to the police,” he said.
Planners announced an entry fee, but they received so many donations they decided it was not necessary.
Large screen TVs came from Rent-a-Center in Lincoln at a cheap rate, Edwards said.
Best Buy and Circuit City also donated equipment. Other donations came from Meijer, Shopko, Wal-Mart in
Springfield and Lincoln, Kroger in Lincoln and the Williamsville Community Foundation. Participants and
onlookers had plenty of pizza, chips and pop to snack on.
DeVry University in Chicago heard about the tournament and sent materials for young people interested in
game development.
“Several kids are really interested,” Edwards said. “It probably got (them) future college kids.”
The chief said his son Colton Edwards got him interested in the game.
“I play this game a lot with my son,” he stated.
Edwards and Mayor Bill McCarty played the winners on Sunday and expected to lose.
“We’re not going to last too long. I’ve seen some of the winners,” Edwards said Saturday.
Following the tournament, McCarty called the response “tremendous” from parents and kids alike.
“It was a good kickoff,” he said.
It accomplished good, as the police chef interacted with youths. Other officers dropped by and did the
same.
“Getting cops and kids together – it worked,” the mayor commented.
He has already received questions about when the next event will be.
Top tournament winners were: First place: Team Shutdown (Tyler Nunez, Bryan Tompkins); Second: C.O.B.
(Derek Thompson, Tyler Lowery); Third: Added Effect (Sean Mullen, Michael Boyer); Fourth: Final Boss (Dustin
Dyas, Riley Hoffman); and Fifth: Crouching Masterchiefs (Brian Irwin, Colton Edwards).
Issue Date: Oct. 3, 2008