Vernon’s National Night Out returns on Tuesday, Aug. 5 with a variety of activities for children and families, hot dogs and ice cream, school supplies for Vernon Public Schools students and information for parents and guardians.
This year’s National Night Out is moving to St. Bernard Church at 25 St. Bernard’s Terrace in Vernon. Festivities are scheduled for 5 to 8 p.m. and all are invited.
The annual event to strengthen relationships between police and the people they serve is hosted by the Vernon Police Department, the Town of Vernon and the Vernon Community Network.
In addition to Vernon police, the Town of Vernon Fire Department will attend to display its equipment, along with Vernon EMS and Vernon Public Works.
“National Night Out is a great opportunity for our residents to meet our first responders and get to know them and learn about what they do,” Mayor Dan Champagne said. “Anything we can do to build community relationships is worthwhile.”
In addition to equipment displays, activities for children and families include music, basketball, corn hole, face painting, and a dunk tank. Police Chief Marc Petruzzi and several others will take turns in the dunk tank. The Rockville Public Library and the Vernon Public Schools Office of Family School and Community Partnerships will offer free books to children. Kids can also participate in a scavenger hunt with the top award being a ride to school from Chief Petruzzi.
“All of our officers look forward to spending time with kids, answering questions from residents and participating in the activities at National Night Out,” Petruzzi said. “This year we are focused on what has always been the core principle of community policing: The police are the public and the public are the police.”
Organizations and town departments that will have booths to share information about services and programs available to Vernon residents, include Vernon Social Services, Vernon Youth Services, Cornerstone, the Hockanum Valley Community Council, the Vernon Rocks Coalition, youth sports programs, Vernon Parks and Recreation, the Vernon Public Schools and Tolland County Head Start.