Laughter, music, laser tag and more filled Wolfe Park on Tuesday evening, with the town of Monroe celebrating its own local version of the National Night Out on Aug. 13, which was organized by the Monroe Police Department. Monroe’s Night at the Park centered on building stronger relationships between the town’s first responders and its citizens.
A plurality of local community groups supported the event through sponsorships, many of which made an appearance that night. The park was flooded with booths offering information, activities, and prizes. But most importantly, families from across Monroe had the opportunity to meet law enforcement, EMS and firefighters face-to-face, learning how they work to keep the town safe.
“It’s a police engagement event, where we are able to speak to the public in a non-hostile or call-for-service environment. We’re here to build better relationships with the community, be part of the community,” said Sgt. Helio Ramalhete, the officer in charge of the event.
A highlight of the night was a helicopter landing and takeoff, wowing children and adults alike. For a few minutes, all of the activity in the park paused as people watched the helicopter take off about halfway through the event.
This show would not have been possible if not for the assistance of a local business. “Props to FlexJet, which is a private jet company out of Bridgeport Sikorsky, agreed to come in and help us with the helicopter landing,” said Ramalhete.
Aside from the air spectacle, other businesses also pitched. The event had free food from Lake Zoar Drive-In, Mr. Mac’s Canteen and Bella Rosa Pizzeria. And for those looking for something on the sweeter side, an ice cream truck was also present — with a long line throughout the evening.
“There’s a lot going on. There’s a lot to eat,” said First Selectman Terry Rooney. “There’s bouncy houses. It’s like a mini-carnival. There’s just a lot of entertainment. Any time the community gets together for an event and it’s lively like this, I’m all about it — and it makes me very happy to be a part of it.”
For children, there was an array of activities aimed at kids. Even Clifford the Big Red Dog and Minnie Mouse made an appearance in costume form.
“They have bounce houses, bubble machines, laser tag, they have snacks, pizza, petting animals, and all of these community groups are here tonight with tables,” said Missy Orosz, Monroe’s director of Parks and Recreation, at their booth.
“We’ve got Monroe Rotary, we’ve got EMS, further down we have Save Our Stepney,” she added. “We’ve got Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts; it runs the gamut. Everyone who was available came out tonight.”
Each booth tended to have some kind of activity or game in order to fit the night’s atmosphere. One example of this was the Save Our Stepney table. Save Our Stepney is a group that has operated for more than 20 years with the goal of preserving the history of the Stepney area.
“We have a wheel that spins. It has numbers on it. You spin the wheel, each of the numbers are in reference to a trivia question about the history of Stepney,” said Joel Leneker, the former president of Save Our Stepney. “We read you the question, you answer correctly, and you win a prize!”
But, assuredly, fun and games were not the only focus of Monroe’s Night at the Park. Many of the families that came out had the chance to have meaningful conversations and interactions with the town’s first responders. The strengthening of those relationships being the true purpose of the event.
“Over at the fire truck, the Stepney one, [our family] got to do the tour of the fire truck, and was involved in every little nook and cranny there,” said Valerie Richter, who stood alongside her husband David and their son.
Though it may be easy to get swept up in the fun of outdoor games or dunk tanks, Ramalhete made sure to emphasize the true meaning of the Night at the Park.
“We put this together with free activities for the family and to bring out the community, bring out the families that might not call us for service, and to build that relationship,” he said, “to understand that we’re here for them, and we are them too.”
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