The Party Must Go On! – National Night rained on, but not snuffed out!

Mayor Matthew Tederick opens the night with a riveting speech that reminded us what the festivities were really about.

The Night of August 6th was filled with music and cheerful crowds as the town gathered for the 13th annual National Night Out, hosted by Sgt. Robbie Seal of the Front Royal Police Department.

For those who don’t know, National Night Out, which is sponsored by the National Association of Town Watch (NATW) and co-sponsored locally by the Front Royal Police Department, will involve over 16,790 communities from all 50 states, U.S. territories, Canadian cities and military bases around the world. In all, over 38.6 million people are expected to participate in National Night Out.

It is a time for the community and the local safety and law enforcement agencies to connect and offers the community an opportunity to learn about the men and women who put their lives on the line to protect our community. National Night Out is designed to: Heighten crime and drug prevention awareness; Generate support for, and participation in, local anticrime efforts; Strengthen neighborhood spirit and police community partnerships; and Send a message to criminals letting them know neighborhoods are organized and fighting back.

Mayor Matthew Tederick opened the night with a riveting speech that reminded us what the festivities were really about. “There are those who run away from danger, but these public servants run towards the sound of danger to protect us, and we are here to respect them.”

And with that, the festivities began! The “Sold Out” band began to play, and Town Central was filled with dancing and music.

However, the weather took a turn for the worse and people started to prefer dancing under the gazebo instead. Heavy downpour put a pause on the activities for some time.

But within a few minutes the sun was out again, and the music was back! The rest of the night went smoothly.

There were dozens of booths with different authorities meeting with the community.

Damsel in Defense is an organization that aims to inform, instruct, and arm women to prevent sexual harassment. They offer training for various defense methods and instruction on how not to be a victim. Talk about fighting back!

The Sherriff’s office was present with their D.A.R.E. initiative to inform on the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse. They even offered free helmets to keep the kids safe!

The Virginia Department of Forestry also made an appearance. The Forest Technician for our area, Zoe Sumrall, assured me that “because of all this rain, we haven’t had much of a forest fire problem this year.” I firmly agreed while wringing out my wet socks.

Even the Ghostbusters showed up! The Ghostbusters Tri-State Division is an organization that assists local charities. Associated with the Official Ghost Corps Franchise, they donate 100% of their funds to local charities in the community.

Overall the event was a complete success in bringing the community and the brave men and women who serve it together. If you missed it, come to National Night Out 2020!