20th annual NNO kickoff party held downtown

By LYNETTE SOWELL
Cove Leader-Press 

Hundreds headed to downtown Copperas Cove for the National Night Out kickoff party on Saturday night.
From bounce houses, street dancing, face painting and more, the two-hour event had something for the whole family. Kids also had the chance to see motorcycles brought by Bikers Against Child Abuse and also played games run by the Copperas Cove 4-H Club. 
The Copperas Cove Five Hills Scholarship Pageant royalty were on hand, letting princesses of all ages try on tiaras, along with running a nail painting table and a corn hole game. 
For 25 cents each, attendees could purchase tickets to buy hot dogs and snacks for one ticket apiece, or get a snack of popcorn or cookies distributed by H-E-B. 
Door prize tickets were free, one per person, with emcee Doreen Vasseur from the Copperas Cove YMCA calling out numbers drawn throughout the evening. Among the prizes were bicycles, one for a boy and one for a girl. 
Eddie the Eagle of Crimestoppers was ready to dance and high-five with the kids, who also had the chance to check out a fire truck from the Copperas Cove Fire Department. 
This year, the Law Enforcement Explorer Program cadets stayed busy taking tickets and managing the cluster of bounce houses at one end of the downtown party area. 
Among the vendors present Saturday evening were representatives of Navy Federal Credit Union, their first year attending the kickoff party. They are no strangers to working with the police department, having opened their doors at least twice to hold Kiddo Card events, during which parents can bring their children to get their photo on a card with their current height, weight, hair color and more. 
Sponsored by the Copperas Cove Police Department, the evening was supported by cadets of the Law Enforcement Explorers Program, the Citizens Police Academy Alumni Association who cooked and served up hotdogs, the Citizens Fire and Public Safety Volunteers Association who handed out door prize tickets, as well as by numerous businesses and local sponsors, 
Tonight is the observation of National Night Out in Copperas Cove, when from 6 until 9 p.m., some neighborhoods will have block parties. Each block party registered with the police department will receive a visit from the police and first responders. 
The National Night Out program involves citizens, law enforcement agencies, civic groups, and neighborhood organizations in an annual crime and drug prevention event.