Pam Davis, with the Boys and Girls Club of Parkersburg, prompts local children to spin the prize wheel at National Night Out. (Photo by Kristen Hainkel)

PARKERSBURG — Children and adults alike flocked to City Park Tuesday to interact with police officers at the sixth annual National Night Out celebration.

National Night Out is a nationwide effort to promote neighborhood camaraderie between communities and police officers.

“Typically when people think of police officers, they think of law enforcement,” said Parkersburg Police Chief Matthew Board. “We don’t get a lot of time to spend with the community in a non-official capacity.”

Event organizer Debbie Jeffrey had been asked to expand activities after previous events. She and fellow coordinator Sharon Kuhl, Parkersburg City Council president, worked together to do just that.

The event started at 3 p.m. Tuesday with flagstone painting with the Parkersburg Art Center, a spinning prize wheel with the Boys and Girls Club of Parkersburg, the Wood County 911 Center’s mobile command unit, face painting, a WVU Medicine ambulance, Parkersburg Fire Department truck, and members of the National Guard on hand.

Parkersburg Police Chief Matthew Board paints a flagstone rock with his son Conor during National Night Out. The flagstone rock was donated by Greenscape Landscaping. (Photo by Kristen Hainkel)

“This is the first time we’ve participated. We were happy to be asked,” Art Center director Jessie Siefert said.

Siefert said the kids enjoyed the painting and she was amazed by the creativity in the designs.

“We joined kind of last minute. We reached out and they were gracious enough to let us participate,” said Pam Webb, community outreach director of Boys and Girls Club. “We had a lot of kids and parents who didn’t know what the Boys and Girls Club were.”

Patrick Davis of the Parkersburg Fire Department gave attendees tours of a fire truck. He also showed a thermal camera, which helps firefighters see through smoke.

At 5 p.m., the City Park pool and splashpad doors were opened. Members of Bible Baptist Church provided food, while DJ Jack Horton played music.

Patrick Davis, of the Parkersburg Fire Department, gives local children a tour of the fire truck brought to National Night Out. (Photo by Kristen Hainkel)

Board and Kuhl gave out 200 tickets to Discovery World on Market donated by Pickering Associates during the pool party.

“It’s a good thing to see kids having a good time. They will concentrate on having fun,” Kuhl said.

“This is a night where we can spend time with kids and adults to have fun. We can remove the barriers,” Board said.

Parkersburg Police Chief Matthew Board and Parkersburg City Council President Sharon Kuhl give out donated tickets to Discovery World on Market during National Night Out. (Photo by Kristen Hainkel)