Gloucester Township’s 2023 National Night Out will be held on Tuesday, Aug. 1, and any town without its own celebration can attend the event at Blackwood Fire Company and Wye Oak Park in Sicklerville.
The night will end with fireworks at 9:30 p.m. at the township’s Veterans Park.
Before National Night Out, township residents can take part in the police department’s first Cool Off With A Cop event on Tuesday, July 18. Residents can hang out with officers, staff and volunteers in the department from 10 a.m. to noon at BK Nutrition Smoothie & Juice Bar, a business that offers protein foods and smoothies.
“In the past, we’ve done Cone with a Cop or Pizza with the Police or Coffee with a Cop, so we decided to offer something a little different, a healthier version for people in the summer,” said Community Relations Officer Don Gansky.
“They are just good opportunities to come hang out with the officers and build relationships within the community in a relaxed environment,” he added. “Coffee with a Cop attracts a lot of older people in the early mornings, but this one is good for families to come out (now that) school is closed for the summer.”
The township’s version of National NIght Out has been recognized on the state and national levels for its heavy community turnout.
“Every year, our National Night Out seems to grow,” Gansky noted. “It’s a great community celebration we all look forward to each summer. It offers our police officers and our community (an opportunity) to interact in a very laid-back manner.
“It reminds them that our police officers are members of the community … (Neighbors) in the neighborhoods.”
National Night Out hours are 6 to 9 p.m. Food and games are donated by local businesses and residents. To register a neighborhood, visit the police department’s Facebook page or its website.
