Tuesday was the official “National Night Out,” a nationwide movement that helps build good relationships between police and the local communities. In Jim Thorpe, a large crowd came out to Memorial Park to enjoy the food, fun and more.

“It’s a night for the community to come together in the fight against crime and drugs,” explained Tammy Lombardo-Schatz, the Community Watch Liaison for Jim Thorpe.

Mayor Michael Sofranko thanked all who took part in the event.

“Thanks to the Jim Thorpe Community Watch, Police Chief Schatz and the whole Jim Thorpe Police Department, and the community for their support.”

In addition to the Jim Thorpe police and fire departments, representatives from Penn Forest, Nesquehoning and Lake Harmony fire departments, Carbon County Emergency Management Agency, Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, Pennsylvania State Police of Lehighton, Nesquehoning Police Department, Lehighton Ambulance, and the Carbon County Sheriff’s Department attended.

Thanks to donations from Jim Thorpe Neighborhood Bank and Wildoner Insurance Agency, they received $850 that was used to purchase prizes that were given away in a free raffle for children under the age of 18.

There was plenty of food courtesy of Tommy’s and 3-Kids Market & Eatery, both from Jim Thorpe.

“We wanted to keep it local,” Lombardo-Schatz explained, “to have local businesses here.”

Other participating organizations included Jim Thorpe Community Watch, Carbon Career & Technical Institute, Jim Thorpe School District Nutrition Group, Domestic Violence Center, PathStone Carbon, Jim Thorpe Touchdown Club, St. Luke’s Health Network, Carbon Chamber, Thirty-One, Silver Pine Treatment Center, Jim Thorpe Rotary Club, Girl Scout Troop 30903, Lehigh Valley Health Network, Carbon/Monroe/Pike Drug & Alcohol, Serenity in the Mountains, Turn to Us, Victims Resource Center, Cub Pack 138, and Boy Scout Troop 555.

Also attending were local and regional officials state Rep. Doyle Heffley, Borough Manager Maureen Sterner, Congressman Dan Meuser (represented by Tom Gerhard), state Sen. John Yudichak and state Sen. Dave Argall’s offices (represented by Brad Hurley), and Carbon County Veterans Affairs.