Chapin Celebrates National Night Out August 6

When Chief Troy Crump plans a community event, I think his motto must be "Go Big or Go Home!" because he always packs a lot of good stuff into a short amount of time. His latest venture is Chapin's National Night Out event, which is scheduled for Monday, Aug. 6 from 6 - 9 pm at Chapin United Methodist Church. The Chapin Police Department and Lexington County Sheriff's Department is joining forces with other local and state law enforcement agencies as well as area businesses to create a fun and informative event for the community and all ages are welcome.

Here is some of the agencies that will be manning displays at this year's event:

The Lexington County Sheriff's Department is bringing out all the stops -- they'll have the Marine Patrol, Bomb Truck, Crime Scene Unit, Dive Team/Swift Water Rescue, Crime Prevention, Gang Unit, Explorer Post, Helicopter, Patrol Car and Jail Van. I hope they leave a few things over in Lexington just in case they get restless across the lake.

Chief has gotton the folks at DNR to bring out their fishing and shooting trailers. The SC Highway Patrol is bringing out its DUI and crash simulators. Brave participants can put on DUI goggles and see if they can operate a golf cart through an array of traffic cones. I hope no one gets hurt!

The Richland County Sheriff Department's team is bring out its Hummer and new Charger for display, and SLED is bringing its Armored Vehicle.

A number of local businesses will also be on hand as part of the festivities, including Shred 360, Roger's Trailers, and Healthsource of Chapin's Dr. Ashley Adamson will provide free screenings. Re/Max Real Estate Consultants will have their hot air balloon onsite for rides, and the good folks at Rentz-All will have some jumping houses and an obstacle course to entertain the kids. Villain Entertainment will be providing music for the event. There will be bottled water and snacks provided, too.

Several Chapin businesses have donated items and gift certificates for a raffle that will benefit We Care. Bring a canned good or non-perishable food item and receive a raffle ticket for the drawing. That's a great way to help We Care collect food, and you have a chance to win some nice items from area businesses. Talk about a win-win!

So mark your calendars and plan to join us as we get to meet our neighbors, celebrate public safety and promote community involvement on August 6!