With a focus of building camaraderie and community among local law enforcement jurisdictions and local residents, the annual National Night Out event did just that by welcoming 1,500 attendees to the annual event on Tuesday, Aug. 5.
Line Roy, the City of Yelm’s communications and recreation coordinator, told the Nisqually Valley News that the event has gotten larger throughout the last couple of years due to the coordination of several agencies and collaboration with local businesses.
“I thought it was a super fun event. I’d love to see it grow every year, and that’s what it has been doing. It’s super cool to see the officers out there and interacting with the public in a much more casual way than they normally would while interacting with the public for traffic stops, or whatever. The vibe is so much different,” Roy said. “The National Night Out is a nationwide program. On this one day, millions of people from across all 50 states come out to meet their officers and learn about different things they do in the community. It’s super cool how on that one day, everyone across the nation comes together and has a good time. That’s something that can be lost on us when we’re planning this event. It’s not just in our little community. It’s across Washington. It’s across the United States. It’s everybody.”
Throughout the evening, attendees were able to enjoy a lineup of free and family-friendly activities, varying from an exhibition of police and sheriff’s office vehicles, to a dunk tank with Yelm Police Chief Rob Carlson. Additionally, attendees were treated to free hot dogs cooked by Steele Barrel BBQ and donated by Yelm’s Grocery Outlet. Tim’s Pharmacy was also in attendance dishing out free root beer floats.
For the first time ever, a “Sprinkle Sprint” was included in the lineup of activities at National Night Out. YPD deputies Ryan Armstrong and David Niessen were the two participants in the event, which involved racing against community members.
