Residents brave weather for Mon Valley Night Out

Hundreds of people attended the annual interaction with area first responders.

Events at the third annual Mon Valley Night Out in Rostraver Township were held around a strong storm Tuesday evening.

Hundreds of people attended the event at the John Di-Virgilio Sports Complex, and Rostraver police Chief Scott Sokol was happy with the turnout.

“We had a great support team here,” he said. “All my policemen and police ladies and our township administrative staff stood firm today and were great support today.

“I’m excited to see everybody out in the community. This is what it’s about. It’s about bringing all the Mon Valley communities together.”

The event hosted first responders from the entire region, with departments from Monessen and West Newton among those present. One of the featured guests was the state police, who brought a helicopter and a mounted patrol unit.

The event started three years ago in an effort to connect the local community with their first responders, and familiarize them with the faces they only saw during trying circumstances.

“This event is created to bring kids closer to first responders, because we only run into children in stressful situations, very rarely are they positive.” Sokol said. “And one of my big things when I took over was community outreach, and my board of commissioners were big on that, and they’re buying into it.”

Sokol added that he wouldn’t be able to put the event together each year without the help of Rostraver commissioners.

During the Night Out, kids received a list of all the first responders who were present and were given a chance to check them all off to win a prize. Throughout the event, children and their parents walked around talking to first responders and getting to know them.

Kelly McGroder, a Rostraver native who now lives in North Carolina, said it was great seeing the kids interacting with local first responders. She’s in town visiting her parents and decided to make the Mon Valley Night Out part of their activities.

“We came here last year and it was really good, so we had to come again,” McGroder said. “They love seeing the trucks, love seeing the horses, the helicopter, they have a lot of fun.”

Sokol said planning hasn’t started for the 2025 event. He is grateful for the help and the response from the community this year.

“We live and learn every event, we try to learn from our mistakes,” he said. “Every day we learn and we’re not too proud to admit that we make mistakes, but we have a good group, and we go forward with all positive things.”

Mon Valley Night Out had almost 40 sponsors, and Sokol said that they were a great aid to creating the event and putting it all together.

The event featured several vendors with food and drinks, with some giving out free snacks and drinks. With a band playing, the event was a lively gathering for the community to get to know each other.

There were dozens of organizations and local businesses giving out information and free gifts for people walking around.

First responders at the event were excited to meet everyone, especially the kids who were interacting with them.

“I definitely think it’s a good event to do for the kids, I’ve seen a bunch of bright faces,” said Abigail Biris, a member of the Monessen Fire Department. “Especially the little girls who get to see a girl firefighter, gives them something to look forward to.”

Deo Bhandari, who recently moved to Rostraver, said the event is great and is something important for local youths to be a part of.

“This is how kids learn how they can go for different fields,” Bhandari said. “This is how people attract and know they can go for the police department, law enforcement and fire department.”

A large storm hit about an hour after the event started, but the weather cleared up just in time for a scheduled fireworks at 9 p.m.