Charles City National Night Out tonight to bring neighbors and police together

By James Grob, jgrob@charlescitypress.com

Citizens can get to know their local police officers tonight (Tuesday) at the annual National Night Out at Central Park in Charles City.

“It’s just basically a way to get everybody out to enjoy the evening,” said Duane Ollendick of the CCPD. “Hopefully it will be a good way for people to get to know the faces of police officers, first responders, and all the others who will be there.”

Ollendick is hopeful the cops and other first responders will be able to have some nice conversations with the public, and people will get to know each other.

“All ages are welcome,” he said. “We’re looking for a big turnout.”

The event is scheduled to run from 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Police officers will be serving up hot dogs, along with cookies, chips and water, and attractions for kids will include inflatables, a 70-foot obstacle course and an 18-foot slide.

“We’ll have a Rescue Heroes jumper for the small kids,” Ollendick said. “We’ll also have a leaps-and-bounds course, which is kind of a neat little thing, where they have to jump from a ball to a ball to a ball and hopefully not fall off.”

Ollendick describe National Night Out as an annual community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships.

“Everything is free, the whole night is free,” he said. “Everything has either been donated or paid for with donations.”

The event will include a backpack back-to-school giveaway as well. Backpacks were donated by the Salvation Army, and volunteers from Zoetis filled the backpacks with school supplies. There will also be tennis shoes available, courtesy of Mackenzie Wilson and her Back to School Shoe Drive, helping kids who need them get free shoes for school.

The Boy Scouts will have their pedal cars available, the Charles City Fire Department will have its fire safety trailer there and the Mercy Air Med helicopter will be flying in at 7 p.m. — at a safe distance.

National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make neighborhoods safer, more caring places to live.

The event intends to enhance the relationship between neighbors and law enforcement, while bringing a sense of community and an opportunity to bring police and neighbors together under positive circumstances. Millions of people take part in National Night Out across thousands of communities from all 50 states.