National Night Out offers fun for Jackson
BY DAVE BENJAMIN
Staff Writer

JACKSON - The 24th annual National Night Out will be held on Aug. 7 from 6-9 p.m. Sponsored by the National Association of Town Watch, National Night Out is a crime and drug prevention event.

"Everyone is invited to attend this special event to celebrate unity in our community," Jackson Police Officer John Convery said.

The ShopRite plaza on North County Line Road will host the National Night Out event. There will be a variety of activities offered which have been organized by the Jackson Police Department's Special Services Division.

Jackson Police Officer Joseph Oleksy said, "There will be many activities offered, including electronic child identification kits and child car seat safety inspections conducted by specially trained traffic safety officers."

Fire trucks and firefighting equipment will be displayed by the Jackson Fire Department. There will be demonstrations on the use of an automated external defibrillator.

The Jackson Police Department's Special Response Team, the New Jersey Army National Guard, the Jackson Police Explorers, the Jackson Volunteer First Aid Squad and the Office of Emergency Management will have representatives on hand to answer questions and demonstrate what they do.

Live music and a demonstration by the Jackson Academy of Taekwondo are also planned, as well as a Fatal Vision goggles demonstration. The Jackson Police Department DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) team will be on hand with its award winning DARE car.

For children, courtesy of New Jersey Lawn and Irrigation, there will be inflatable rides, music, spin art, refreshments and a first-time visit from Dora the Explorer.

Jackson ShopRite will sponsor games and prizes for children, and free hot dogs, chips and drinks for all. Drawings for prizes will be held throughout the evening.

Many organizations will be on hand with information about how to become more involved in the community. Any organization that would like to participate in the National Night Out event should contact Officer John Convery at (732) 833-3015 or Officer Joseph Oleksy at (732) 833-3016.