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Aimed at reminding everyone about the importance of first responders, the annual National Night Out was held at Dunne Memorial Park on Aug. 4.
About 200 people attended, according to the Hollister Police Department’s Eduardo Feliz.
The event included many booths from local agencies, including Hollister Police and Fire, and San Benito County Sheriff, that currently offer clinics and different types of support programs.
California Highway Patrol representative Elijah Gracia said he was told about the event by his Public Information Officer John Moncayo, and thought it would be a great opportunity to interact with the local community.
“I think it’s good for the community to see the lighter side of law enforcement,” Gracia said, “that we’re not just giving traffic tickets and arresting anyone. We’re just showing them that we are regular people too.”
The California Highway Patrol had slab bracelets, stickers, pens, keychains and also had informational pamphlets.
“We want to let the people know to slow down when you are driving,” he said. “Pay attention and don’t use your phone while you’re behind the wheel. Keep everyone safe on the roads.”
Garcia said he wants kids to wear their helmets and pads, look both ways before crossing the road, and if they are younger, always ride with their parents.
Hollister resident Anthony D’Angelis said he has been attending for the last couple of years, and has been making it a family tradition.
“We took a picture with our son Leonardo in front of the fire truck,” D’Angelis said. “We took our son to learn how to use the Jaws of Life and saw some great community resources.”
D’Angelis said it’s an opportunity to learn about police cars, fire trucks, and have hands-on experience with them.
Hollister resident Cassie Hernandez said she heard about the event on “What’s going on in Hollister” on Facebook.
“I learned about how to dispose of unused medication at San Benito County Opioid,” Hernandez said. “I wanted to come because of my kids Gia Hernandez and Jamison Hernandez.”
She said she loves watching her kids have fun, play games and win prizes. She said first responders also have a lot of great information that people don’t know about.
Hollister resident Jordan Fashet said National Night Out brings everybody together.
“It allows us to have a good night,” Fashet said. “Where there’s nothing going on other than being friendly and being kind.”
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