“This event not only brings our community together for educational purposes, but gives everyone a chance to participate in a night full of fun activities,” Gonzalez said.

A rock climbing wall, dunk tank and raffle giveaways were all a part of the annual event, along with child fingerprinting, East Lansing bike registration and emergency preparedness demonstrations.

For Okemos resident Melissa Goodnoe and her three children, coming to the event was a way to get outside and see everything her community had to offer.

“This is a great opportunity to enjoy a nice summer night, and get my kids out from in front of the TV,” Goodnoe said. “I like it because there are activities my kids can enjoy, and at the same time there are helpful resources here for me too.”

The event, which was sponsored nationally by Target Corp., was free to attend, and included organizations such as the American Red Cross and special response teams like the Michigan State Police Aviation Unit.

“We are able to bring together organizations from within our community that specialize in different areas, and give residents a chance to take advantage of what they have to offer, while fostering relationships with them at the same time,” Gonzalez said.

Nationwide, the event pulled in more than 36 million people in 12,000 communities in all 50 states, said Matt Peskin, the CEO and founder of the National Association of Town Watch, an organization that also sponsors National Night Out.

East Lansing police and fire departments were both in attendance, using the event as a means to introduce proper safety measures to children in the community, East Lansing police Chief Tom Wibert said.

“Taking part in this event is a way we can show our unity as a community and make a statement about crime,” Wibert said. “We are working to promoting public safety at a truly family-oriented event.”