Community, law enforcement come together for National Night Out

National Night Out organizer Sgt. Ryan Pearson of the Havre Police Department put a lot of effort into getting a helicopter for this year's event, and for 15 minutes, it looked like Mercy Flight was going to be available for kids to climb into and explore.

Pearson said Mercy Flight had barely landed Tuesday afternoon in front of the Student Union Building at Montana State University-Northern when it got an emergency call and flew off to Northern Montana Hospital. U.S. Border Patrol had provided a helicopter in recent years for the event but that was unavailable this year.

However, plenty of other vehicles the many children could climb into came to the event, as well as other ways to have fun.

National Night Out brings law enforcement and the community it serves together for a day of fun and getting to know each other. The purpose is to build and strengthen relations between the two.

The Havre Fire Department brought two fire trucks and an ambulance. Firefighter Tyler Thompson was supervising children who were climbing the larger of the two trucks. When asked by a 3-year-old why the steering wheel was so big, he said it was because the wheels were so big.

Children on the grounds were also climbing into police and Montana Highway Patrol cruisers, as well as onto two four-wheelers that were brought by U.S. Border Patrol agents.

A dunk tank had been set up not too far from where Havre High cheerleaders were painting faces. Officers Lucas Ames and Curt Smith and Sgt. Jesse Eller had volunteered to be the official dunkees for the duration of the event. Ames said his decision was based on the hot temperature. Forty-two minutes into the event, Ames said he'd already been dunked over 30 times.

Eller said the money raised - it cost $5 to throw 6 balls - went to "Shop with a Cop" program. In the program, children nominated by agencies and schools are paired with uniformed police officers who treat them to a day of shopping as the holiday season approaches.

Wearing a drenched uniform shirt, he said the fundraising was going well.

Another big hit was the black terrier and pitbull mix puppy brought by Animal Control Officer Pete Federspiel. Somewhere under the mob of petting kids, a puppy was enjoying the attention.

"He's going to sleep well tonight," Federspiel said of the pup.

Capt. Bill Wilkison, Assistant Chief Jason Barkus and Chief Gabe Matosich had been serving barbecue sandwiches and coleslaw for most of the event. They laughed and joked as the long line of people let the officers pile their plates. They all agreed they would not be volunteering for the dunk tank.

Pearson said this year's National Night Out event was better than any year thus far. While talking, his daughter was asking him if he would go dunk an officer at the dunk tank for her.

"I love to see the support of the community," Pearson continued, before turning his head to point out all the law enforcement agencies gathered around.

Other agencies and groups who also had representatives at the event were Hll County Sheriff's Office, Montana FIsh WIldlife and Parks, Crimestoppers, BNSF Railway police, Hill County Search and Rescue, FBI, and the Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts, Eagle Scouts and Venturing Scouts.