The warm sun shone down Friday morning at the St. Elizabeth Center in Oil City as the United Way of Venango County held a press conference about this year’s National Night Out to be held Tuesday, Aug. 1.
Will Price, the executive director of the Venango County United Way, described the event as being “dedicated to fostering positive relationships between residents, local law enforcement and community organizations.”
Community members can look for events at six locations this year including Christ United Methodist Church in Franklin, Clintonville Borough park, Franklin Heights playground, Rouseville community playground, St. Elizabeth Center and Wyllis Street in Oil City.
UPMC Northwest is one of the major local sponsors of National Night Out, and hospital president Brian Durniok said that “after COVID, and given all the different things that have happened in our country over the last few years, I can’t think of anything better than this National Night Out.”
He added that this is an opportunity to serve as roles for children and find ways to lift up the underserved.
“Oil City, Franklin, Seneca and the greater Venango area have outstanding citizens that always come together and find a way to help each other,” Durniok said.
“It’s important that we reach out to those agencies because they are doing so much to keep our streets safe,” Dulaney said.
He also presented a proclamation making Aug. 1 a recognized day for National Night Out in the county.
State police community services officer Cindy Schick, who has attended several of these events, also shared a few words.
“It gives us time to interact with community members, break down those barriers and allow community members and children to know that we’re just people too. Not just police officers, but all first responders,” Schick said.
National Night Out has been around for several years, and this will be the second year it is being held in Venango County.
When Price was asked about his decision to start celebrating the national event in Venango County, he said it was “that sense of community building” as well as “focusing on the smaller communities in Venango County.”
