Willow Park hosting evening of safety and fun

Fun, mingling, and education will be in the spotlight on Tuesday, Oct. 1 as Willow Park will host National Night Out from 5-8 p.m. at Kings Gate Park.

The event focuses on police and community relationships. According to the NNO website, millions of neighbors take part in such an event across all states and U.S. territories on either the first Tuesday of August or the first Tuesday October annually.

“The Willow Park Police Department began hosting a centralized NNO celebration a few years ago as a way to bring members of our community together in one place to get to know each other and the men and women who help keep our community safe,” said Rose Hoffman, City of Willow Park Communications and Marketing Director/Public Information Officer.

“This year we are excited to move the party  to Kings Gate Park, which allows us to expand the event.”

The evening will include fun activities such as bounce houses and games for children, music, and food vendors. There will also be a limited supply of free T-shirts

“It’s also a really fun night for all involved – this year we are bringing back DJ John Henry, who did a great job entertaining and energizing the crowd last year, and we are welcoming food trucks from Flavor on 51 and Donut NV,” Hoffman said. “We also have several bounce houses and other inflatable attractions for the kids as well as games and goodies.”

Willow Park Police Chief Daniel Franklin praised the move from the police department to King’s Gate Park.

“We had a pretty good turnout at the PD, so we decided why not move it to King’s Gate Park where you have the playground for the kids and a lot more room for everyone?” he said.

The event is free for everyone - with the exception of the food trucks, Hoffman stressed, thanks to the generosity of sponsors, including The Community News, The District at Willow Park, Par-Tee Carts, Texas Elite Disposal, JW Mechanical, Wilks Development, Bearcat Sports Bar, and the Parker County Chamber of Commerce. 

“And we’d like to be sure and thank them. Without their involvement, we would not be able to bring this important evening to the community,” Hoffman said.

But the most important part of the evening is strengthening and reinforcing the connection between police departments and the communities they protect, Franklin said.

“We’ve got a good connection with our community, but like anything that can always grow,” he said. “A lot of people in the community don’t know the officers. They see the cars and know we’re out there protecting them, but this is a chance for them to get to know us and for us to get to know them.”

Hoffman added, “We talk a lot in emergency management and public safety about ‘blue sky’ situations and establishing relationships during peaceful moments. Often, the first time someone might meet a member of the police department is when they’re having a pretty rotten day – perhaps they’ve been involved in a traffic accident or been the victim of a crime.

“National Night Out gives the people who live and work in Willow Park a chance to get acquainted with their officers under good circumstances, which helps build trust and community. It also gives neighbors a chance to get out and get to know each other. Those things go a long way towards strengthening our community and making it a safer place for all of us.”