National Night Out to provide free school supplies, back to school food, fun

Aug. 4—ALBANY — National Night Out is back after a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19, and the annual event in which area law enforcement agencies hand out bookbags and school supplies looks to be bigger and better in 2022.

About 2,000 attendees were on hand for the last National Night Out, and with inflation taking a bite out of parents' paychecks, it is expected to bring out an even bigger crowd this year.

The event runs from 4-7 p.m. on Thursday, and vendors will be on hand beginning at 1 p.m. at Radium Springs Middle School, 2600 Radium Springs Road.

"We are aware of the need," Dougherty County Police Department Capt. Tamiko Whitlock said. "Forty-seven vendors is the largest group we've ever had. When we put out the ask, everybody stepped up to volunteer their services for free because they felt the need."

Flint River Fresh will be on hand to distribute 300 boxes of fruit and vegetables.

The annual event will include activities for children, food trucks, inside barbers will be giving haircuts and the Georgia Department of Public Health will be administering COVID tests.

"We've been doing this for over 30 years, but didn't the last two years because of COVID," Whitlock said. "We have a very large event. We were told that south of Macon we have the biggest National Night Out event in the state.

"It's all law enforcement — (including) Albany Police Department, Georgia State Patrol, Sheriff's Office, Albany State Police."