More than 700 people attended the 22nd edition of the annual Monroe County National Night Out at Winnebago Park in Tomah Aug. 5. The annual safety night returned to the park after being held at Recreation Park in Tomah the past few years.
Monroe County Sheriff Wes Revels said the event continues to be well received by the public. “I think it’s certainly an annual opportunity for the people that we serve, from adults to children to come out and meet with the first responders, whether they be from the sheriff’s office, the Tomah PD or fire or EMS, the healthcare systems and Tomah Health. All of them being here is a chance to interact with those people and provide good information about safety and wellness which is of the utmost importance.”
Over 100 children learned bike safety during the Tomah Police Department’s Bike Safety Expo. People also had a chance to visit more than 20 not-for-profit organizations and participate in several hands-on displays.
Revels said NNO also helps his staff, along with other agencies build relationships, which leads to safer communities. “This is of course something fun and enjoyable for them to do. We like to get out to these events and certainly they like to get out of their normal workday activities and interact with people and just have a little bit of fun with the people we serve.”
A group of Monroe County organizations and agencies including Tomah Health coordinated this year’s event. “There is no way this event could take place without all the participation from law enforcement, emergency medical services, fire departments and the groups and businesses that allowed their employees to take part. Of course, our media partners and the Tomah Parks and Recreation Dept., and director Joe Protz were instrumental too,” said Tomah Health marketing & public relations director Eric Prise.
Over the past years, the Monroe County NNO has been recognized by the National Association of Town Watch (NATW) for outstanding participation in ‘America’s Night Out Against Crime.’