Aug. 8, 2007

LOUDONVILLE, N.Y. - On Tuesday evening, the Siena athletic department was represented by select coaches at the 2007 National Night Out Against Crime event hosted locally by the Town of Clifton Park. Head women's soccer coach Steve Karbowski, head men's tennis coach Jim Serbalik and assistant women's basketball coach Michelle Collins served as special guests at the event in support of the initiative. This marked the second consecutive year Siena athletics has participated in this national crime and drug prevention community awareness program.

"This was just a great community event that I was very happy to be a part of," Karbowski explained. "Our goal was to support the overall initiative by emphasizing the importance for kids to be aware of emergency situations, as well as listening to their parents."

The event showcased Clifton Park's local emergency services and public safety via crime prevention displays sponsored by the Town's Citizen Corps, a volunteer group focusing on community safety and emergency preparedness. In addition, there were various activities available for the youth between the ages of six to 16 to participate in. This included free raffles, a basketball shooting station, water sprinklers, an ice cream stand, child identification kits, etc... Additionally, the Saints coaching staff passed out Siena athletics gift bags to the children in attendance.

The National Night Out campaign is designed to heighten crime and drug prevention awareness, generate support and participation for local anticrime programs, strengthen neighborhood spirit and police-community partnerships and send a message to criminals letting them know that neighborhoods are organized and fighting back.