HANCOCK COUNTY — Two of their four children were with Katherine and Tony Messier as they walked through the Hancock County Fairgrounds taking in the sights, meeting first-responders and even picking up a gift or two.
The McCordsville family was one of many on hand for Community Night on Wednesday, July 21, for the annual back-to-school celebration. Families had the opportunity to pick up free backpacks filled with school supplies and also meet public safety officers.
This was at least the third year the Messiers have attended the event. They enjoy meeting the first-responders, some of whom put on demonstrations to show visitors how they do their jobs.
“It’s been great getting a chance to meet and talk with some of the police officers and firefighters who actually come into our neighborhood,” Katherine said.
It was also a great time to visit the vendors and agencies who set up booths to greet families and pass out free items and helpful information.
Standing behind a table filled with bright orange goody bags containing emergency preparedness-themed items, Misty Moore, director of Hancock County Emergency Management, said Community Night is a special event.
“I love how everyone in the community gets to come out and see and talk with the first-responders and get to know what everyone does,” Moore said. “People know we respond when there is a big disaster, but we’re here for the little things too.”
Amanda Everidge, director of community health at Hancock Health and its Healthy365 program, greeted visitors with her team and passed out water bottles, lip balm and health tips.
Everidge noted events like these build community bonds because they let first-responders interact in a fun and positive way with people. That rarely is possible.
“To get to know the fun side of law enforcement and to get to know the people who provide needed services breaks down this barrier that is sometimes there,” Everidge said.
Another goal of the event is to help people build a better lifestyle, and a big part of that is building a support system, Everidge said.
“The people that are here, we’re the support system for the community,” Everidge said. “We want to show them and help them learn to make healthy decisions and find services that they might not have known or otherwise wouldn’t know how to connect with.”
Officials with Healthy365 also gave away fitness trackers and pedometers for children to get them thinking about being active. They also passed out bags of fresh vegetables, including tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers and fruit including peaches from the Hoosier Harvest Market.
“You know, some people may not have ever eaten a fresh peach,” Everidge said. “A lot of people can’t always afford these kind of things.”
One of the other big attractions was getting a chance to see all the first-responder equipment up close, from fire trucks to police cars. There were also demonstrations by officers, including one by a K9 officer, that were big draws.
At the Greenfield Police Department booth, deputy chief Chuck McMichael was joined by other members of the department, including administrative assistant Madison Watters, who put together gift bags with coloring books, sunglasses and water bottles among other things for the children.
For McMichael, the chance to mix and mingle with people — most of whom they might see only during a stressful encounter — is a positive thing.
“Most times when we’re working with people there is no time for an open conversation, and that’s what’s so nice about a night like this because you can walk up to any officer and start a conversation about anything police-related or non-police related,” McMichael said.
Summer Kirchner of Cumberland and two of her three kids were standing around a massive box filled with educational toys donated by sponsors. There was a sign inviting them to take a toy for free. She brought her family, including a little one in a stroller, to learn all she could about healthier living and to pick up a free backpack, filled with school supplies like pens, pencils and paper, for each of her two school-aged children.
“This event is a real lifesaver for me,” Kirchner said. “You just get so much information, learning about things you don’t know.”
She noted her kids needed to learn about things she can’t teach them, such as fire safety. Plus, she loves letting her children interact with other kids who are interested in things like learning more about the police and firefighters.
“I like them to be involved, and things like this get them ready to start thinking about going back to school,” Kirchner said.
Heather Burge, who lives in nearby Knightstown, drove 20 minutes with her four school-aged children and left with a red wagon full of school supplies and educational material.
“I know I’m not from here, but we couldn’t pass up all this has to offer,” she said. “This is such a big, big help for families like mine who would be lost without it.”
