Family on Thorpe Street hosts carnival for kids in the neighborhood

Dan Eberly and his wife, Sarah, hosted a carnival in their backyard yesterday for the children living on and around Thorpe Street in Batavia.

"This is a busy neighborhood and there are lots of kids and we just wanted to get to know them," Dan Eberly said.

The carnival had various games that allowed the children to earn tickets that could be redeemed for prizes. There were also hotdogs, snacks and drinks.

It was all free.

Most of the year Eberly, who is originally from Baltimore, works overseas but with an extended stay at his home in Batavia, he thought it was a good time to do something for the neighborhood kids.

"I had carnivals in my neighborhood when I was growing up and they were the highlight of my fall," he said.

The Eberlys also host Nerf gun games every Wednesday evening in their backyard. If kids show up and don't have their own Nerf guns, the Eberlys supply them.

Eberly is also mindful that Thorpe has a reputation for being a troubled neighborhood.

"We had the shooting — it was literally out my front window -- a couple of weeks ago, and we just figure this would be a good way to start changing the community by getting to know everybody," Eberly said.