MATTAWA — All across America, communities turned out for National Night Out the first week of August, when police, firefighters and other community agencies throw a party and invite the whole town to see what they do. But in Mattawa, they took it a little further and combined National Night Out with a back-to-school event. 

“One year we tried having two separate events,” said Mattawa Mayor Maggie Celaya. “But it wasn’t very successful. We had more participation at one event and not the other. This time of year, apple harvest has started and people have started working early morning. They're going out to work in headlamps.” 

The back-to-school event included a raffle for donated school supplies as well as donut-eating contests for both kids and first responders. The strains of music filled the park, supplied by a DJ, and occasionally people could be spotted dancing. 

The donuts were hung by strings off a line strung between two trees, and contestants had to try to eat the donuts with their hands held behind their backs. There was also a burrito-eating contest, where four first responders vied to consume a three-pound burrito in the shortest time. Abe Gonzalez, a firefighter with Grant County Fire District 8, broke the all-time record, polishing off the behemoth in three and a half minutes. 

The Mattawa Police Department hosted the National Night Out part, which also included Grant County Fire District 8, the Washington State Patrol, the Grant County Sheriff’s Office and the Moses Lake Tactical Response Team, among others. Some of the agencies brought vehicles with flashing lights and sirens for the children to check out, and the MLTRT had an armored vehicle that was especially popular to climb on.  

Washington State Patrol Trooper Brian Villanueva was there speaking to folks about what the WSP does. Villanueva is a recruiter for the WSP, he said, and has done plenty of presentations at Wahluke High School, so he’s well familiar with Mattawa. Villanueva doesn’t speak much Spanish, so he was conversing with a Mattawa resident through an interpreter. 

"She said she has always thought about the State Patrol as being mean, grumpy old people,” Villanueva said. “I was explaining our motto, ‘Service with humility.’ And also, that we have discretion on a traffic stop. She asked why do I stop a lot of vehicles, and I said because a lot of times I see bad crashes and fatalities and we want people to slow down. Not every day is a ticket when you get stopped.” 

Grant County Fire District 8, which covers the Mattawa area, was also there. 

“We brought some trucks up,” said GCFD Chief Matt Hyndman. “It’s a chance to go out and see the kids and shake some hands and make sure everybody knows who we are and what we do.” 

High summer is the busy season for firefighters, but Hyndman said his district has had a better year than some. 

“We’ve been faring pretty well here in our district, which has let us send trucks out to other fires,” he said. “We sent a truck down to the Big Horn Fire in Bickleton.” 

“We hosted this event to bring the community together, getting to know each other better,” Celaya said. 

    Contestants vie to consume dangling donuts at National Night Out in Mattawa Friday. Mattawa combines the event, which brings out police and firefighters to mingle with the public, with a community festival that includes contests, music and a back-to-school raffle.
  

    Michelle Hill, left, and Alejandro Fernandez show a little fancy footwork at National Night Out at Hund Park in Mattawa Friday. The pair were representing HAPO Credit Union at a vendor booth.
  

    Erika Lopez, left, and Ektor Lopez put together prize packets for children at National Night Out in Mattawa Friday.
  

    First responders chow down on three-pound burritos in the Belly Busting Burrito contest at National Night Out Friday in Mattawa.