National Night Out block party, a community crime prevention event, will be held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 3 at Whitmore Park in downtown Ceres.

Sponsored by the Ceres Dept. of Public Safety, Cost Less Foods, Don Cool Photography and the Ryno family, the community and local businesses are invited to join Ceres Police, Ceres Fire, local officials to heighten crime prevention awareness and generate support for, and participation in local anti-crime programs. The main focus of the Ceres event this year is to strengthen neighborhood spirit and police-community partnerships.

The Ceres event will include food and drinks, kid’s activities, safety and Neighborhood Watch information, music, a police canine demonstration and a tour of the SWAT vehicle, all of which will be free of charge.

The National Night Out Program was started in August 1984 after the National Association of Town Watch was created several years earlier by Matt Peskin, a local volunteer for the Lower Merion Community Watch program. Since then, the event has grown to include millions of participants.

The event is typically held on the first Tuesday of August in most communities. The event is designed to include fun and educational activities  such as food, safety demonstrations, children’s games and much more.

Promoters say it’s easy to think that with today’s technology, we don’t need to reach out and connect with our neighbors. While home security systems afford additional protection, they can’t help to get to know the individuals who live nearby and who might be able to support us not only in times of need but also share part of their lives with us.

This is what National Night Out is about: communities coming together in a stance against crime.

To learn more about National Night Out, visit www.nationalnightout.org or www.facebook.com/nationalnightout.