The 21st Annual Crookston Night to Unite, a celebration of communities and law enforcement, will be held at the University of Minnesota Crookston Campus Mall on Tuesday, August 6, from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m.
This year will be the biggest Night to Unite yet, with 37 bike packages to be given away, five Mall of America Family Fun packs, five food trucks, games, prize giveaways, and more.
The event kicks off with the 11th annual Walt Keller Memorial Bingo from 2:30 to 4:00 p.m., with opening ceremonies at 4:30.
There will be several demonstrations, including a popular one by the Crookston Fire Department. “We are going to simulate a car crash with people trapped, and the fire department is going to come in Code 3, like officers would and EMS, and they are going to extricate people from the crashed car,” said one of the event organizers, Officer Don Rasicot. “We’re also bringing back a very popular demonstration, it involves four legs and teeth. I’m not going to tell anybody it is the K9 bite demonstration.”
The dunk tank will be back with attendees having the opportunity to dunk Corky Reynolds, Dan Erdman, and Crookston Public Schools Superintendent Randy Bergquist.
They will try a new event this year with a frozen T-shirt contest. “We kind of made it up as we go, but it will be for kids, middle-aged kids, and adults,” said Rasicot. “We are going to have frozen t-shirts all scrunched up, and each person will be issued a frozen shirt, and the first one that can unfold it and put it on gets a pretty good-sized prize.”
There will be thousands of dollars in prizes given away. “Holy buckets! I want to say how generous and how gracious our community is, both businesses and private citizens. Everything we give away, and it is thousands of dollars worth of prizes, is donated,” said Rasicot. “This year, we have 37 bicycle packages. That is the most we have ever had. A bicycle package includes a bike, helmet, and lock because we like to promote safety, and we have a variety of bicycle sizes from very, very young children right up to adults.”
Rasicot promises everyone a great time at this year’s Night to Unite. “It’s going to be a lot of fun. Come hungry and this is where the community and first responders come together and we take a bite out of crime,” said Rasicot. “We want our community members to meet and greet our first responders, know them on a first name basis.”
T.H.E. Bus will provide public transportation to the event. Other than the food provided by the food trucks, all events are free to the guests.
For more information about Night to Unite, to request a booth for your organization, or for more information on food vendors, contact Don Rasicot, at 218-281-3111 or drasicot@crookston.mn.us. You can also follow Night to Unite on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Crookston-Night-to-Unite.
