SCENES FROM NATIONAL NIGHT OUT IN MARATHON

The Marathon community filled the Sheriff’s Office aviation hangar at the Marathon Airport on Tuesday night to visit with nearly a dozen military, law enforcement and community partners for National Night Out. Photos by ALEX RICKERT/Keys Weekly

Tuesday night put those who protect and serve our island home on full display, from Key Largo to Key West, as the Florida Keys celebrated 2023’s National Night Out. Representatives from the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office and Key Colony Beach Police, U.S. Coast Guard, FWC, Florida Highway Patrol, Border Patrol and Fire Rescue crews brought helicopters, boats and even bomb squad robots to showcase their skills – even letting visitors take some of their specialized gear for a test drive.

An annual favorite for kids around the Keys, the goal of National Night Out is to bring the community together and spark conversations about how to make our neighborhoods safer, cleaner and more secure.

Alex Rickert
Alex Rickert made the perfectly natural career progression from dolphin trainer to newspaper editor in 2021 after freelancing for Keys Weekly while working full time at Dolphin Research Center. A resident of Marathon since 2015, he fell in love with the Florida Keys community by helping multiple organizations and friends rebuild in the wake of Hurricane Irma. An avid runner, actor, and spearfisherman, he spends as much of his time outside of work on or under the sea having civil disagreements with sharks.