About 1,000 people enjoyed National Night Out last year at a Sanford Mainers game. Courtesy photo.
By Lisa Blanchette
The Sanford Police Department has been participating in National Night Out for 16 years. And for the second year in a row, this year’s event will take place during a Sanford Mainers game. The family-friendly event will be offered on July 28, when the Mainers take on the Vermont Mountaineers at Goodall Park.
The whole community is welcome to the free event, which is designed to build community and promote goodwill between neighbors and law enforcement. Admission to the game will be free but refreshments will not.
Those who attend can expect to see officers greeting the community, a speed pitch booth, giveaways, Moonglow Munchies food truck, Poppin Bottles drink tent, the Mainers concession stand, and approximately a dozen local businesses and public service organizations with information, giveaways, and product displays.
National Night Out was established in 1984 by Matt Peskin, a Community Watch volunteer from Pennsylvania. It began as an effort to encourage residents to turn on their porch lights and spend time outside connecting with their neighbors and local law enforcement, and it grew from there. The first event drew 2.5 million participants across 400 communities in 23 states. Over the years, the event evolved into a massive, nationwide celebration. Today, the event regularly involves millions of residents across thousands of communities.
Kathleen Cox, administrative assistant to Sanford Police Chief Eric Small, described this year’s event as an opportunity for families to get to know the officers who serve their community, ask questions, build relationships, and make connections that build trust long before someone needs to call 911.
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