The 38th Annual “Nite to Unite” celebration will take place this year on August 3rd. Communities and Law Enforcement can come together and take a bite out of crime with the event. The event will occur at the University of Minnesota Crookston this year, as Central Park is currently undergoing renovation and is no longer available.
Director of Outreach & Engagement at the University of Minnesota Crookston Michelle Christopherson explained a little bit of what the event will look like this year with the new location. “We were able to extend our campus as an option when Central Park became unavailable for the event,” said Christopherson. “We will have lots of vendors and different organizations that will host their company during the event. It’s an evening where the community can become more familiar with their law enforcement and the services that they provide.”
Many local businesses donate every year without hesitation to make the event so successful. However, with the COVID-19 pandemic taking a toll on many local businesses, they will not be relied on this year for the money. The manager at the Walmart in Crookston, Dave Olson, has graciously agreed to have the store fund the entire event this year. This will be the 18th annual event for the City of Crookston and the first time they’ve had one sponsor fund the entire event.
Christopherson also shared some of the events and highlights that they’re expecting from this year’s event. “There will be games for kids with prizes being given away every 15 minutes,” said Christopherson. “It’s a free event for all ages and should be a wonderful night.
One of the biggest events will be the K9 Unit that will be in attendance and will actually put on a live show. “The K9 Unit that will be here is going to do an extraction near the visiting parking on the campus,” said Christopherson. “It’s going to be a good demonstration for guests who want to take a look at how they handle things and how the K9s work.”
The event hours have changed this year compared to previous years. The main events will start rolling around 4:00 p.m. However, a Walt Keller Memorial Bingo will occur in the Campus’s Student Center, Prairie Lounge, from 3:00:4:00 p.m.
The main event will begin at 4:30 p.m. sharp at the mall, the center part of the campus. The national anthem will be played, and from there, Police Chief Paul Biermaier and Officer Don Rasicot will then recognize and award plaques to medical heroes for their dedication to the community in serving to cure and reduce COVID-19 infections.
For more information on the event and any questions you may have, you can check out the event’s Facebook page, “Crookston Night to Unite.”
