Mayor Horrigan Hosts 39th Annual National Night Out
City of Akron Press Release
From the desk of City of Akron Press Office
Published: 07-21-2022
Akron, Ohio, July 21, 2022 — On Thursday, August 4, 2022 Mayor Horrigan and the City of Akron will host Akron’s 39th annual National Night Out, a unique program celebrating the importance of neighborhood engagement in Akron. In total, there will be eleven National Night Out events spread throughout the city.
National Night Out (NNO) is an annual community-building campaign, sponsored by the National Association of Town Watch, that promotes police-community relations and neighborhood unity. The goal of National Night Out is to strengthen participation in local programs that prevent and deter crime, in an effort to make neighborhoods safer, more caring places to live.
“I think now more than ever we need to come together in our city in positive ways, and create space for conversations and engagement,” said Mayor Horrigan. “I believe National Night Out offers an environment that is conducive to open dialogue between our residents, community organizations, faith leaders, elected officials, and law enforcement. The NNO program has deep roots in Akron and I’m looking forward to this year’s numerous events.”
“The National Night Out builds unity within our community,” said Gary Wyatt, founder of North Hill Community House. “It promotes City, Police, Community, business partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie. The best way to build a safer community is to know your neighbors and your surroundings. The National Night Out triumphs over a culture that isolates us from each other and allows us to rediscover our own communities.” Mr. Wyatt is organizing the National Night Out event at Patterson Baseball Complex this year.
List of events and times for Thursday, August 4:
| NNO Locations | NNO Address | Organizer | NNO Event Time |
| Firestone Park Community Center | 1480 Girard Street | Councilmember Donnie Kammer | 5:00 - 7:00 pm |
| Reservoir Park | 1835 Hillside Terrace | Councilmember Sharon Connor | 6:00 - 8:30 pm |
| Joy Park Community Center | 825 Fuller Street | Mike Dowdell | 4:00 - 8:00 pm |
| Ed Davis Community Center | 730 Perkins Woods Drive | Robert Dowdell | 5:30 - 7:30 pm |
| Patterson Baseball Complex | 955 Patterson Avenue | Gary Wyatt | 4:00 - 8:00 pm |
| Northwest Recreation Center | 1730 Shatto Avenue | Councilmember Shammas Malik | 5:30 - 7:30 pm |
| Chestnut Ridge Park | 1958 Chestnut Ridge Blvd | Councilmember Mike Freeman | 6:00 - 8:00 pm |
| Dave’s Supermarket | 871 E. Exchange Street | Megan Delong | 6:00 - 8:00 pm |
| West Hill Church of our Savior | 471 Crosby Street | Reverend Debra Bennett | 6:00 - 7:30 pm |
| Highland Square Theater | 826 W. Market Street | Councilmember Nancy Holland | 6:00 - 8:00pm |
| V.Odom Library | 600 Vernon Odom Blvd | Theresa Boware | 5:30 - 7:30 pm |
The National Night Out campaign involves citizens, law enforcement agencies, civic/religious groups, businesses, neighborhood organizations and local officials. In all, more than 38 million people are expected to participate in NNO in more than 16,000 communities across all 50 states and beyond.
For further information, contact:
Stephanie Marsh
Chief Communications Officer
Phone: 330-375-2754
E-mail: [email protected]
