National Night Out raises its local profile
The night for police, fire and rescue personnel to meet their communities added to its events in Roanoke on Tuesday.
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Wednesday, August 7, 2013
When Target executive Randy Trent came to work at the store in Roanoke in December, one of the things he asked about was National Night Out, a movement created to promote community safety and harmony by bringing neighbors out to mingle with one another and emergency workers. Target is one of the national sponsors.
Roanoke’s Target had not held a big event before and Trent was surprised.
“When I found out, I was like, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me,’ ” he said.
Trent said the Target in Christiansburg, where he used to work, held successful National Night Out events in the parking lot, and he wanted the same for Roanoke.
So on Tuesday, the Roanoke store held its first. More than 300 people trickled in and out of the Target parking lot to take part in the local version of the nationwide event.
Trent said Roanoke has one of the most receptive communities — with enthusiastic neighborhood groups — that he’s ever seen. One of the best -known and most active neighborhood groups is the Southeast Action Forum, which helps host the most widely attended National Night Out event in the city at Golden Park on Carlisle Avenue.
Several hundred people from southeast Roanoke and the surrounding area descended on the park Tuesday night, even with overcast skies and a smattering of rain, to meet and greet local rescue workers, grab some food and listen to some live music.
Several neighborhood watch groups help sponsor the event in Golden Park, working together to achieve high turnout.
Southeast organizer Mark Powell said he saw a lot of familiar faces at the event . There were also many people who are not involved in neighborhood watches, people whom group organizers want to attract. This year’s neighborhood potluck was bigger than last year’s , a trend Powell said is expected to continue.
One of the best -known aspects of National Night Out is the large police, fire and rescue presence. Dozens of rescue workers were at the city’s National Night Out events , chatting with the public and allowing eager children to explore their vehicles.
“It puts a human face on our service providers,” Powell said.
Roanoke police Sgt. Jason Holt made several stops at neighborhood block parties . He said at least one person will approach him with an issue, such as crime in the neighborhood, and that’s exactly what police want: communication. He chatted with several people Tuesday night at Golden Park.
“The police and firemen just being out here with the community — that right there is very important,” said southeast Roanoke resident Glenda Marshall. Marshall made her first visit to the neighborhood’s National Night Out event with her mother, Kathy Lawrence, after hearing about it on the news.
“It’s very pleasant,” said Marshall. “They should do this more often.”
Big attractions at National Night Out events include games, face painting and dunking booths . Children ran around , many meeting rescue workers for the first time. At Golden Park, Officer J.T. Rogers proved to be one of the most popular attractions: H e was handing out a truckload of stuffed animals.
“It’s almost like a family reunion, but it’s not family. It’s neighbors,” said Bob Clement, who directs neighborhood services in Roanoke . The neighborhood parties for National Night Out have grown over the years, he said, with several apartment complexes joining in, especially in areas that have had trouble with crime.
“They are showing they are taking back their respective neighborhoods,” he said.
1. 41-vehicle wreck ties up traffic Sunday on I-81 in Rockbridge County
2. Virginia Tech football roster has holes on picture day
3. Medicare penalties hit hospitals in Roanoke, New River Valleys
4. Microfestivus beer event gets downtown Roanoke hopping
5. McFarling: 2 little numbers are a big hurdle for Virginia Tech football
6. Arrest made in case of missing Nelson County teen
7. DAN CASEY: Copter cost still stirring up dust
8. Virginia attorney general's office grows under Ken Cuccinelli
9. Roanoke farmers markets making local foods more accessible
10. Man's drowning is 5th in Lynchburg area
THE ROANOKE TIMES
