National Night Out swim party Tuesday

A free swim party from 6:30-8 p.m. at Walton Family Aquatic Center will highlight Nevada’s observance of National Night Out on Tuesday, Aug. 1.

Kansas City Power and Light will be on hand providing free hotdogs, chips and drinks.

A host of other activities will run from 6:30-8:30 p.m. as Nevada will join some 38 million residents in 20,000 communities taking part in National Night Out.

During the final half hour, there will be a drawing for various gift certificates from such local businesses as Rinehart Jewelry, Family Video, Dairy Queen and McDonalds.

Carson Evans will serve as the D.J. providing music.

Besides a mini-car show, there will be a rescued horse used in equine therapy from Honey’s Hope and a reptile exhibit trailer from the Missouri Conservation Department.

In addition, there will be officers, vehicles and equipment from Medflight helicopter, Nevada Police Department, Vernon County Sheriff’s Office, Missouri State Highway Patrol, Nevada Fire Department and Vernon County Ambulance District.

Observed annually on the first Tuesday night in August, since 1984, the purpose of National Night Out is to build strong partnerships between law enforcement and communities as well as to promote neighborhood watch, Drug Abuse Resistance Education and other crime awareness and preventions efforts.

Said Community Policing Officer Marcus Champion of the Nevada Police Department, organizer of this year’s event, “I think just about everyone’s heard a lot of incidents which break down trust between law enforcement and the people they serve. We want to strengthen community relations because it’s only together that we can fight crime.”