For some, it was the prizes and pizza. For others, all it took was an opportunity to meet the neighbors to lure them outside for the 26th annual National Night Out.
Law enforcement officers seem to agree, though: It doesn't matter why people participated; they're just glad people did.
The program was started as a way to bolster crime awareness and drug prevention by encouraging neighbors to look out for one another and report suspicious activity.
Block parties took place across Bryan and College Station. For Texas A&M students, the University Police Department set up a National Night Out event at the Student Recreation Center.
Bryan City Councilman Al Saenz attended four National Night Out parties, one in the Angel's Gate neighborhood.
"When you have neighbors coming out to meet each other and help secure safety on the west side of Bryan, it shows we can be safe everywhere," he said. "Nights like tonight go a long way to breaking down the barriers of those old suspicions minority communities have of law enforcement officers."
At the Lulac Oak Hill retirement community, several College Station officers arrived at the party riding bicycles. The complex is home to 50 residents, and right at 6 p.m., at least 25 already were mingling with the officers.
"I participated last year as well," said Officer Michael Kennedy. "I was on patrol in a car and went to several parties. It's nice to see that all ages come out to this -- from college-aged to nursing homes."
Peggy Case said she felt safe in her home and knew most of her neighbors, but it's always a good idea to attend a social, she said.
Texas A&M student Sara VanHauen, a junior geography major from Alvarado, heard about National Night Out by picking up the campus newspaper, The Battalion, and invited her friend, Marion Pollard, to join her.
"It was a lot of fun," said Pollard, a sophomore psychology major from Riesel. "We stopped by every booth and picked up pamphlets and learned a few things. We even ended up winning a couple of prizes, too."
Pollard walked away with a ShamWow, a T-shirt and a $10 iTunes gift card.
"We had an awesome turnout, and the students and participants were quite receptive to the safety information," said Officer Kristi Hosea. "I'm not sure what our numbers are just yet, but we went through 100 pizzas and about 250 hot dogs."
On Camelot Drive in Bryan, most of the neighborhood turned out for National Night Out, which has been a community staple for residents there since 1997.
"There's crime all over the city," said Tom Miller, who helped to organize the party. "But there's less here in our neighborhood than in the rest of the city, and I attribute that to neighbors looking out for neighbors."
John Wayne -- well, actually a man dressed as the famous cowboy actor -- even made an appearance at the party and posed for photographs with neighborhood children.
Dollie Rosas and her husband, Bobby, have lived in the neighborhood for a decade and participate yearly in National Night Out. This time, the Rosases even met a neighbor with a son the same age as theirs -- an uncommon occurrence in the neighborhood of mostly older residents.
"Most of the time, people keep to themselves," Dollie Rosas said. "I made sure I got home early so I could make it out. It's just so important. It's nice to know the neighbors."
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