City of Crestview issued the following announcement.
When the excited cry of “bingo!” resounds from within the eager throng at the Crestview Police Department’s newly restarted monthly games nights for special-needs residents, the prizes that winners take home come from a very special place.
Local donors’ hearts.
The games nights are entirely supported by donations. Since their inception in June 2018 until a several-month interruption due to COVID-19 restrictions, the evenings of table and floor games have been enjoyed by a core group of 20 to 25 guests.
With special precautions, including social distancing, the popular games nights resume Nov. 19, and regular attendees can’t wait to resume, Crestview Police Community Services Officer Wanda Hulion said. For the first gathering in a long time, games night will be special, she said.
The evening will feature a T-ball game held in the healthy outdoors of Spanish Trail Park at the ballfield nearest Industrial Drive to allow social distancing. Cornhole will also be available. Since Bingo isn’t practical in the ballfield, door prizes will be awarded by raffle, with each attendee receiving a free ticket.
The events, which are co-hosted by firefighters from the Crestview Fire Department, are possible because of door prizes, snacks and drinks donations. No taxpayer dollars are expended on them. Many of the police officers and firefighters who take part are off duty and do so out of their commitment to the community.
Others stop by during a lull in their shifts to play games with the guests and help fulfill one of the games nights primary goals: to show special needs residents that firefighters and police officers are their friends.
“In case they ever need to encounter them in an emergency situation, our hope is they’ll say, ‘Oh yeah, I play games with them,’” Officer Hulion said.
Officer Hulion and her Community Services partner, Officer Sam Kimmons, started the games nights after discussing services needed for the special-needs community with local social services organizations. The Fire Department signed on immediately.
“We always enjoy taking part of them,” Fire Senior Captain Corey Winkler said. “We look forward to playing with our friends in the special-needs community again.”
While this month’s games night will be 5-7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 19, in the Spanish Trail Park ballfield, they are generally held the third Thursday of the month at Warriors Hall in the Whitehurst Municipal Building. They are open to any special-needs teen or adult, who must be accompanied by their caregiver(s).
Donations of snacks, water or soft drinks and new, unopened prizes for the raffle are welcome and may be brought to the Crestview Police Department in the Whitehurst Building, 201 Stillwell Blvd., at any time.
Original source can be found here.
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