Hopewell Township’s emergency services strive not only to protect the public during times of crisis but also to build lasting connections with the community they serve. That mission was front and center Tuesday night, August 5, as the Hopewell Township Police Department hosted the 20th annual National Night Out celebration at Stony Brook Elementary School.
Hundreds of residents turned out for the popular event, enjoying an evening filled with family fun and engagement with first responders. Children climbed a rock wall, lined up for pony rides, jumped in a bounce house, and gleefully dunked police recruits in the ever-popular dunk tank. The crowd was treated to free hamburgers, hot dogs, popcorn, and ice cream from Uncle Ed’s Creamery, courtesy of the police department.
“Hopefully these folks will see the faces of the volunteers and the career staff that we work with so that when they do call 911, maybe there’s already rapport, which helps build trust and helps communication and helps to mitigate a problem when it happens,” said Hopewell EMS Chief Jason Read.
The event also served as an opportunity for community outreach, with tables staffed by local organizations—including the Hopewell Township Health Department—offering resources, giveaways, and information. Emergency services personnel were on hand to promote volunteer opportunities and answer questions about how residents can get involved.
“Reaching people in their environment or at a public event like this, where we can spend some time face to face and explain in detail some of the things that are important, is how you make the community safer and grow,” said Fire Marshal Andrew Fosina Jr. “The ability to make those connections fosters firefighters in the future, perhaps, and a general awareness of fire safety and public safety.”
For 11-year-old Anika Bhattacharya, a Stony Brook Elementary student, the night was simply a fun way to reunite with friends before the school year starts. “It’s fun to see all your friends before school starts. You can just hang out with all your friends and have fun,” she said.
National Night Out is a nationwide community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make communities safer, more caring places to live. It is celebrated on the first Tuesday of August in thousands of neighborhoods across all 50 states, U.S. territories, and military bases around the world. Events often include block parties, festivals, parades, cookouts, safety demonstrations, youth activities, and more—all under positive and welcoming circumstances.
“This is a fun event that has brought our community together for nearly twenty years,” said Hopewell Township Police Chief Jim Rosso. “I hope that it continues for many years to come.”
Pennington resident and volunteer firefighter Rachael echoed the importance of the event for both responders and their families. “It definitely brings family together, where otherwise, a lot of times first responders, they’re out, they’re busy, they don’t always get to have time with their own family. So having a night where everyone gets to come out and see each other’s family is really special.”
Hopewell Township’s National Night Out is held annually on the first Tuesday in August. Next year’s event is already in the works.
To learn more about local emergency service volunteer opportunities, visit hopewelltwp.org/728/Volunteer-Opportunitiesor penningtonfire.org/join.
photos by Mike Chipowsky and Rebecca Wechter
