It was a rocking night in Laureate Park (LP) for the Neighborhood Night Out (NNO) party on Tuesday, Oct. 3. This was LPs first time hosting the NNO.

Families entertained themselves with karaoke to classic rock songs, painted their favorite superheroes on rocks to keep (or later hide for others to discover), played yard games and enjoyed local food trucks. The LNHS Thespian Club styled kids’ hair into the rock star look of the ’80s. They donated their proceeds to Puerto Rico. There were several vendors for neighbors to learn more about safety and security resources/tools available on the market. Kathy Hereford Homes hosted the first annual LP “Talk to Chili to Me” chili cook off – the big winner was Boyd Perry with his Rajun Cajun Chili! Non-perishable items were collected as part of the chili cook off and donated to the Puerto Rico relief.

Special guests from the City of Orlando included Commissioner Jim Gray, Community Liaison Officer Malave, along with a fire truck with firefighters, and an OPD cruiser with officers.

The NNO is an annual event held the first Tuesday in October every year. This event is coordinated through the Orlando Police Department by their Neighborhood Watch Program (NWP). For more information regarding starting a NWP and the NNO party, contact: [email protected]; (407) 246-3773; www.cityoforlando.net/police/neighborhood-watch.net Please note there are deadlines to request grants, get program handouts and to have a City of Orlando official participate at your party. Some of these deadlines occur as early as mid-May.

One of the main objectives of a NWP is to promote neighbors getting to know each other. This event was a great way to achieve that goal. We estimate 400-500 LP residents participated. More than 200 neighborhoods in the City of Orlando threw a party at the same time, focused on getting to know each other and celebrating the good in their communities. We had a rocking good time in LP!

LP Neighborhood Watch Program Area Coordinators
Larry Albert
Gene Thatcher
Linda Thierry