Use this search box to find articles that have run in our newspapers over the last several years.
Date: 8/9/2023
LONGMEADOW — Where can residents go to see a bicycle rodeo and a helicopter land? The 2023 First Responders Night at Williams Middle School, of course.
Similar to National Night Out, First Responders Night is an annual community event organized by the Longmeadow Police Department. The event is designed to give residents an opportunity to meet the town’s first responders in a fun, social setting.
Police Capt. Carl Mazzaferro said, “Resources are thin” on National Night Out because so many departments are hosting celebrations and entertainment is booked. The Longmeadow Police Department moved its event back to ensure the community has a more robust experience.
People attending First Responders Night will find food trucks, fire trucks, a bicycle rodeo and a landing by a Lifestar helicopter. Sgt. Amanda VanBuskirk will also be on hand with K9 Reuben. Mazzaferro said VanBuskirk and Sgt. Danielle Rex-Bernashe organized this year’s event.
The event will take place Tuesday, Aug. 15, from 5-8 p.m., with a rain date of Aug. 16. In the past, the First Responders Night was hosted at Russell Field until 2021. Last year’s event was slated to be at Williams Middle School, but it rained out. Suggested admission is the donation of a non-perishable food item for the Longmeadow Food Pantry.
“We’re very fortunate to have the residents we have in Longmeadow. They’re all very supportive” of the Police and Fire departments, Mazzaferro said.