Kiwanis Park in Battle Ground was filled with first responders and members of the community to celebrate the 40th anniversary of National Night Out on Tuesday, Aug. 1.
From free hot dogs to children’s bicycle safety, Prevent Together Battle Ground Prevention Alliance’s Battle Ground National Night Out event was popular among families.
National Night Out serves as a crime- and drug-prevention event building relationships between first responders and communities.
“National Night Out is all about police community partnerships, but here in Battle Ground, we’ve expanded that to include our other first responders,” Jenifer Kirby, coalition coordinator for Prevent Together, said. “We have all of these other volunteer booths, nonprofits in the community, community partners.”
The main attraction for Battle Ground’s event included the bicycle rodeo organized by the Battle Ground Police Department, sponsored by Target Zero, Walmart and the Washington State Traumatic Brain Injury Council. The sponsors donated bicycle helmets and brand new bicycles to raffle off to children.
The bicycle rodeo targeted youth learning to ride bicycles and about safety while riding.
“If they’re riding in the street, we’re teaching them arm signals, so our arm up at a right angle for a right turn, arm straight out for a left hand turn, and arm down come to a stop,” officer Julia Macphee said. “[I’m] Talking to kids about paying attention to cars and the sudden things that come into the roadway any time you’re riding in the street. I want to make sure that you’re paying attention to surrounding cars that pull out from parked positions, people walking across crosswalks, things like that.”
Along with Battle Ground Police Department’s bicycle rodeo, School Resource Officer Ash Kinlaw was talking to those interested about his 10-8 Disc Golf Program.
“I wanted to come up with a way to do something after school to connect with the kids, and also use the sport of disc golf because it’s something that I play, as a way to approach difficult topics with kids, talk about internet safety and you know, how not to become a victim of an online predator, various things like that,” Kinlaw said.
He currently offers his after-school disc golf program at Chief Umtuch and Daybreak middle schools.
With the sport of disc golf growing, especially at the professional level, Kinlaw said he enjoys teaching youths about the sport. It has grown from a recreation sport to a collegiate and professional sport, with professionals as young as 17 making a living playing, Kinlaw said.
“We could have the world’s next Paul McBeth or Paige Pierce right here,” Kinlaw said.
Other events at the night out included a rope-rigging demonstration by the Southwest Washington Search and Rescue team, squirt hose by Clark County Fire District No. 3, police car and ambulance tours and more. The West Arts Academy Youth Rock Ensemble provided live music.
Battle Ground’s Deputy Mayor Cherish DesRochers said she has always enjoyed National Night Out events and is a big advocate for substance abuse prevention.
“I love watching everybody come together and seeing how excited the kids get for the fire trucks, police cars, just recognizing people in the organizations and the community that support us and we support them,” DesRochers said. “They are here to help us in our time of need, and it’s really awesome to have the opportunity for people to connect with the first responders so they’re comfortable with them as kids.”
