Uniting Through Family Fun

By AMY DAVIS

The Progress

With lights flashing and sirens blaring, a parade of emergency vehicles left the Oasis Resort a little after 5 PM on Wednesday September 22 and blazed a trail that led to the Mesquite Recreational Center to kick off this year’s Mesquite Night out.

This annual community event draws hundreds of people and focuses on relationship building for first responders in the community.

In planning the event, the Mesquite Police Department strives to bring the community together with public safety agencies both locally and in the surrounding area. The aim of the event is to build friendships and bring awareness to crime prevention in a fun and exciting community event.

Mesquite Night Out attendees were treated to free hot dogs and water from the Mesquite Elks Lodge #2811. The Elks served more than 800 hot dogs and bottles of water to those in attendance.

The sidewalk west of the Rec Center was lined with dozens of booths representing many different local business and organizations.

There were also games and dancing for kids, pedal car races, a flash bang demo. The crowd even got to watch three residents volunteer to be shot with a taser.

Many in the community loved it, especially the youngsters. “This was the best night of my life!” said 7-year-old Alana Davis. “We have to go to this every year. I got stickers, I got to wear a bullet proof vest, I threw frisbees at ducks and I got a clown nose!”

This is exactly the kind of reaction that Sergeant Wyatt Oliver, Public Information Officer for Mesquite Police Department, was looking for. Wyatt said that a huge focus of the event is in having positive interactions with kids.

“A lot of times we see these kids while we are carrying out our duties that isn’t always a positive experience,” says Oliver. “We really want the kids to know that if they are in trouble that they can seek the police out for help. We want the kids to know that we are just moms and dads and neighbors – just regular people – and we are here for our community.”

Nick Montoya, the Director of The Mesquite Athletics and Leisure Department estimated that about 1,300 to 1,500 people were in attendance at the event.

“We are so happy to support the Mesquite PD in this event,” Montoya said. “This night is all about bringing community together and it has been a great event. There are so many good things happening here tonight, from the youngest kids to the oldest adult, everyone seems to be having a good time.”

Members of the Mesquite Fire and Rescue Department were also in attendance interacting and providing fun activities for the kids.
“We have so much fun out here,” said Spencer Lewis, Administrative Captain of the Mesquite Fire Department. “It is so great to see so many happy people out here interacting and enjoying the night,” he said. “The kids are having a great time and it is good to see the community gathered together tonight.”

Local parent Ashley Ellis was pleased to have the positive interactions for her children with the community’s first responders.
“My daughter is so young and when she sees a policeman, she says: ‘Those guys put you in jail,” said Ellis, “I don’t even know where she got that from. But it was great to see her able to interact and see the police as just regular people in her community.”

Mesquite mom Abigail Dalton was also happy for the family-friendly community event.
“It was just a fun night!” Dalton said. “I mean every year it is fun to go to it. There is so much to do, and the kids love the games and activities. We love it!”