Hundreds of community members from Westbury and New Cassel gathered at the Martin “Bunky” Reid Park on Tuesday, Aug. 5, for the annual National Night Out, which included live music, food, giveaways, community resources and multiple family activities.
The event, held nationally on the first Tuesday in August, aims to promote community-police partnerships and solidarity within communities.
“We wanted to bring the community together and let them know all the great things that are going on in the county and in the town,” said Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman regarding the event.
The Westbury event has been held in the community for over 30 years.
The night began with a small parade from the nearby Salvation Army Westbury Corps Community Center, which made its way to the park around 5:30 p.m.
When the parade arrived at the park, community leaders led prayers in English, Spanish and Creole. Town of North Hempstead Supervisor Jennifer DeSena called the event “a night to build bridges.”
The event included live music by the Westbury Jazz Collective and a DJ. Numerous community members played Corn Hole and Table tennis while children ran through one of two bouncy houses set up in the park.
Over two dozen community and governmental organizations ran booths at the event, including the Pi Pi chapter of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, which has helped to plan the event for multiple years.
Patricia Mack, a sorority member for over 50 years, said that National Night Out is “a wonderful time to get people out and see what the community offers.”
Additional tables at the event were run by the Girl Scouts of America, the Salvation Army, NYU Langone and the New York Department of Public Services, among others.
The local Police Benevolent Association donated over 1,000 hot dogs, while the Town of North Hempstead provided ice cream.
