On Friday, July 7, Strasburg Borough will host a chicken barbecue fundraiser at Strasburg Marketplace, 214 Hartman Bridge Road, Ronks. Meals will be available to purchase at a set price and will include a barbecued half-chicken, chips and a drink. The fundraiser will begin at 3 p.m. and conclude once it is sold out.

The profits from the chicken barbecue will assist the borough in covering the expenses for Strasburg's first National Night Out (NNO), which will be held on Tuesday, Aug. 1, at Jaycee Park, 218B Miller St., Strasburg. The free event will include activities for children, and it will highlight multiple local nonprofit organizations, such as the Strasburg Fire Department and Gordonville EMS. Members of each organization will operate stations to provide information on the services that their group offers the community.

Until this year, the Strasburg Borough Police Department participated in West Lampeter Township's NNO. After receiving multiple inquiries from Strasburg residents who wondered why Strasburg didn't have its own NNO, the borough decided to introduce the event this year. "It's a great way to get us more involved with our community," said Kayla Garver of the Strasburg Police Department. "The money raised from the barbecue will go toward anything we need for (NNO), from fireworks to free food."

NNO is a tradition that began in 1984. Neighborhoods across the country coordinated an evening that residents kept their porch lights on and sat outside of their homes. The primary goal of the event was to raise awareness about anti-crime initiatives such as neighborhood watches and drug prevention programs. NNO has evolved over the years and is now observed by millions of residents throughout the country. Today, neighborhoods participate in the tradition by hosting events that range from modest barbecues to extravagant festivals. NNO is always held on the first Tuesday of August, and it often entails demonstrations from police departments, fire companies and paramedics.

"(NNO) is beneficial for both sides; people get to know who's working in their area, and officers get to meet the residents who they serve," Garver said. "We're planning to make it a yearly event."

The introduction of Strasburg's first NNO is part of the borough's recent initiative to increase the police department's engagement with the community. In February, the borough held its first Coffee With a Cop event at Agape Cafe & Grille in Strasburg. Officers made themselves available for discussion with community members in an effort to bridge the gap between law enforcement and local residents. "It allowed people to become familiar with the people working in the department," Garver said. "We had a great turnout, which we were very excited about. We also hope to make Coffee With a Cop an annual event."