HIGH SPRINGS – Families gathered at the High Springs Civic Center on Aug. 4 for National Night Out, an annual community event designed to strengthen relationships between residents and local law enforcement.
Hosted by the High Springs Police Department, the City of High Springs and the Children’s Trust of Alachua County, the three-hour event combined activities for children with an opportunity for residents to meet and interact with local police officers in an informal setting.
The event ran from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Civic Center, 19107 N.W. 240th St.
Activities included music, a bounce house, water slide and balloon toss, along with displays of police vehicles. A number of local community organizations also participated in the event, joining police and city representatives in activities and outreach with families throughout the evening. Free food and shaved ice were also offered.
With the start of the new school year approaching, organizers incorporated a back-to-school component into the event, distributing backpacks and school supplies to children.
National Night Out is observed in communities across the country as an effort to promote police-community partnerships and encourage interaction among law enforcement officers, residents and neighborhood organizations.
In High Springs, the event provided families an opportunity to spend the evening together while meeting the officers who serve the community outside of their routine law enforcement duties.
The local celebration was organized through a partnership among the police department, city and Children’s Trust of Alachua County.
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