National Night Out brings community together for worthwhile cause

By Kelly Terpstra, kterpstra@charlescitypress.com

That officer in blue is just like you.

That’s a big part of what National Night Out is all about – breaking down stereotypes and stigmas attached to law enforcement.

The annual community-building campaign put on by a vast array of local organizations and groups around Floyd County will congregate in Central Park this coming Tuesday to participate in the national police awareness program that first began in 1984.

“We want them to know that we’re here to help people. Everybody thinks we’re just here to write tickets and arrest people. That’s only a very small percent of our job,” said Charles City Police Officer Duane Ollendick.

Ollendick has been on the police force in Charles City since 2015 and this is the second year he’s been in charge of the event that invites members of the community to shake hands with police officers and members of the Floyd County Sheriff’s Office.

Charles City’s National Night Out is hosted by the Charles City Police Department and community partners.

“We want people to feel comfortable around us, not always be scared,” said Ollendick. “It’s more of a meet-and-greet where they can come up and talk to you and say ‘hi’.”

Maybe the best part about National Night Out is that it doesn’t cost a dime.

“Everything we do that night is free,” Ollendick said.

People can eat a meal of hot dogs, chips and watermelon courtesy of business and organization sponsors.

One new attraction this year will be the fire safety house that the Charles City Fire Department will have on site at Central Park. The fire safety house teaches children about the dangers of fire and smoke inhalation, among other things.

The fire safety house will replace the “Jaws of Life” demonstration by the CCFD where an old car was used for the mock presentation on how to extract someone from a vehicle during a wreck or accident. Brave souls that wore protective goggles could then smash the car with a sledgehammer after the demo was done.

“We’ve got to give them a little something different,” said Ollendick. “We’ll do that again on another year. I want to try to change things up and give them something new to look at every year.”

People can also tour a CCFD fire truck and learn about the life-saving equipment on board.

The Mercy AirMed helicopter will also fly in around 8 p.m. that night. Kids or adults can strap themselves inside the helicopter after it has landed.

Ollendick said more than 300 backpacks filled with school supplies will be given away again this year. The backpacks are donated to the Salvation Army and Zoetis helps fill the bags with pencils, markers, notebooks, etc.

Mackenzie Wilson will also hold her Back to School Shoe Drive giveaway. She has teamed up with Valero to be able to offer sneakers to anyone that may need them. In previous years that Wilson has done the shoe drive she has collected more than 150 pairs of shoes.

Hidden in Plain Sight is also back this year at National Night Out. Prairie Ridge Integrated Behavioral Healthcare and Floyd County FOCUS makes this interactive room possible that teaches parents about the signs of teen alcohol or drug use. A staged room allows adults to look for items such as drug paraphernalia, simulated narcotics and other things that parents need to be aware that may be found in their children’s rooms.

Children can also have their own ID kits made for them and have their fingerprints taken at a station located in the park.

Scouts Troop 87 will have their go-karts and pedal cars available, and the Bridge Church will offer pull-train rides as well.

The National Guard will also bring its climbing wall for anyone interested in taking on that challenge.

The Charles City Elks Club No. 418 was a major fundraiser of the inflatables and they will be staffing a big bouncy house.

The relaxed atmosphere will also features plenty of carnival games and putt-putt golf.

CC Cares helps out a lot with the event and is very instrumental in making sure everything goes as smooth as possible, according to Ollendick.

“They’re kind of like our sidekick that kind of spearheads this. They do a lot of the organization and planning and they have a lot of volunteers,” he said.

“I hope everyone can come out and enjoy the evening. It’s really surprising how the community binds together and how they come out and support all the different functions that go on,” said Ollendick. “Because without this it would take a lot of money to try to throw something like this together.”

National Night Out is now put on in over 16,000 communities throughout the United States and is celebrated in most cities and towns on the first Tuesday of August.