On the beautiful evening of April 27, the fourth annual Heroes Night was held at the Clark County Fairgrounds. The fundraising event featured ample opportunity for participants to eat, play, laugh and interact with first responders of all stripes.

The turnout was modest at the start of the night this year. Though ample crowds did eventually appear as the night went on, even organizers were surprised at how few community members joined at the very beginning of the event.

Tents, vehicles and games — including not one, but two children’s bounce houses — were set up all across the grassy area of the fairgrounds. Organizations present ranged from the local Rotary Club and VFW to the out-of-county Nevada Outdoor School (NOS). 

Helicopters landed on the south side of the grass for curious individuals, courtesy of Mercy Air. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) invited the general public to “recreate safely and enjoy your public lands,” as they handed out flyers and goodies. Nevada Highway Patrol (NHP) shared that the agency is currently recruiting and offering a “true, 10-hour workday,” with take-home vehicles and personal tools provided at no cost to employees. “Stay safe, slow down, buckle up and don’t drink and drive,” they concluded.

Next to NHP’s tent were the Las Vegas Metro Police Department (LVMPD) displays, which included a Tesla truck, an off-road vehicle and a prisoner transport vehicle. Participants were also invited to wear drunk goggles and attempt a field sobriety test, or try their hand at getting through a breech door. Sergeant Keegan Doty shared, “It’s just a chance to show [fun] stuff off,” as kids tripped over their feet in the grass nearby.

Past the bounce houses — run on donations to the Moapa Valley Fire Department (MVFD) — was Nevada Outdoor School, which brought along a custom game for kids and handed out 30 free children’s helmets. Parents were able to provide their information, listen to a short informational lesson and help their kids choose a helmet. Skull caps and full-face, off-road styles were both offered. “Our main goal is to make sure kids are wearing helmets. If that means giving out free helmets to kids, then that’s what we’ll do.”

Clark County Fire Department (CCFD) brought its public education fire safety trailer, where kids were able to practice general fire safety and evacuation procedures. CCFD shared that they were incredibly impressed by the amount of knowledge local kids have, but emphasized the importance of testing smoke detectors monthly and ensuring they are not past their 10-year lifespan.

Hot dogs and hamburgers were provided by the Elwood Perkins VFW and the Moapa Valley Rotary Club at no cost this year. At 7 p.m. the Fire versus Police game was announced. This year featured a massive tug-of-war game between the two departments, with guest contenders being the High School Brute Squad. Over two rounds, Fire went 0-for-4, Police went 2-for-4, and the Brute Squad won all four games.

Between rounds, the VFW’s Commander Phil Mullins awarded three Public Servant Awards to local first responders. Awards were presented to the newly retired Officer Nathan Bradford for law enforcement at the local level, MVFD’s René Eastin for firefighter at the local and state level and MVFD’s Captain Andrew Bosch for EMT at the local and state level.

The night concluded with helicopters lifting off and families enjoying the last bit of sunlight available. The event was a great addition to the community, with high hopes for another in 2027.