Gwinn's National Night Out returned Saturday, Aug. 8, after an absence, drawing families to Peter Nordeen Park for a free afternoon with the Forsyth Township Police Department, Forsyth Township Fire Department, EMTs and the U.S. Coast Guard, WLUC reported.

The free event ran from noon to 6 p.m. at the park, located at 115 N. Pine St., according to an event flyer.

The event featured vendors, music, games, firetrucks, a helicopter and a K9 training demonstration, giving residents a chance to meet the first responders who serve the Marquette County community, according to WLUC.

It was free and open to all.

Organizer Chris Anderson — owner of Hot Tunes Entertainment and founder of the FOCUS Foundation, which stands for Focusing On Children Understanding Success — told WLUC the goal was rebuilding trust between residents and law enforcement.

"Cause there's been a lot of things going on ... So, by doing the National Night Out, this is all about community coming together, supporting one another, helping each other, and just being there and understanding. So, we need more eyes, we need more help, so we want everybody to be safe," Anderson said.

Anderson urged residents to report suspicious activity, telling WLUC, "If you see something, say something."

National Night Out is a nationwide community-policing campaign organized by the National Association of Town Watch, observed in thousands of communities across all 50 states. Gwinn is among 53 registered Michigan participants, according to NATW's website. The national observance fell on Tuesday, Aug. 4 this year; Gwinn held its event four days later.

Anderson did not specify how many years the event had been absent from Gwinn, only that it was returning "after some time," he told WLUC. He said he plans to make it an annual tradition and invited residents to attend next year's event.