Sunmark Foundation Attends National Night Out

On Tuesday, August 1, Sunmark Credit Union and the Sunmark Charitable Community Foundation participated in National Night Out for the third consecutive year. National Night Out was introduced in 1984 by the National Association of Town Watch in an effort to connect community members with law enforcement agencies in positive, relationship-building settings. To date, the event has grown to include 17,000 communities and 38 million attendees across the United States.

Since 2021, members of the Foundation’s Kindness Crew have participated in National Night Out as part of their “Summer of Kindness” program. This year, the Kindness Crew joined the Boys and Girls Club of the Capital Area at Ezra Prentice Park in Albany to launch their “Ultimate Journey Bike Program.” Earlier in the summer, this program donated helmets and bicycles to local children with a goal of encouraging outdoor exploration and participation in healthy activities. During National Night Out, the Albany Police Department joined the initiative at Ezra Prentice Park with the addition of a free bike safety course. Kindness Crews also attended National Night Out events in Guilderland, Peekskill, and Mohegan Lake.

Past Summer of Kindness projects at National Night Out included:

• In 2021, the Sunmark Foundation participated in National Night Out at several New York State locations, including Clifton Park Commons in Clifton Park, Tawasentha Park in Guilderland, and Riverfront Park in Rensselaer. Kindness Crew members set up planter boxes and invited children to plant vegetable seeds which were then donated to the Interfaith Partnership to the Homeless, Veterans & Community Housing Coalition and St. Paul's Center. Read more about the Community Garden project here.
• In 2022, the Kindness Crew set up Kindness Stations for children to create thank you cards for first responders – a project which was the result of “Kindness Deposits” made by two Voorheesville children who wanted to thank those who help to keep our communities safe. The completed thank you cards were distributed to area EMS, police, and fire departments.

To learn more about the Sunmark Foundation’s Summer of Kindness program, visit sunmark.org/kindness.

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