The Coplay Town Watch (CTW) continued its 2015 transformation by putting a new spin on its annual National Night Out Against Crime (NNO).

Held Aug. 4 at the American Club of Coplay pavilion, the NNO event traditionally celebrated law enforcement by presenting law enforcement organizations and officials to the community.

This year's NNO instead highlighted 15 diverse vendors who were encouraged to actively present their organization's goals to attendees. Attendees were asked to take time to listen to the vendors' presentations. Communication was the goal.

The vendors included Pennsylvania State Police, Hokendauqua Fire Department, Lehigh County Adult and Juvenile Probations, Communities That Care group, Baseball Info Solutions, Whitehall Area Chamber of Commerce, Damsels in Distress, Turning Point of the Lehigh Valley, CTW Feral Cat Committee, Crime Victims Council of the Lehigh Valley, Boy Scouts of America Troop 79, United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley, Cetronia Ambulance Corps, Lehigh Law Enforcement and Lehigh Valley Hospital.

A theme of NNO was to more closely align Coplay and Whitehall. In his remarks, Whitehall Mayor Edward D. Hozza Jr. thanked the CTW for its efforts and thanked his Whitehall Police Department for the excellent efforts fighting crime in the township.

State Rep. Dan McNeill, D-133rd, issued another thank you and then spoke about the heroin epidemic sweeping Pennsylvania.

"We have a real, dangerous problem with heroin in Pennsylvania that needs to be addressed," he said.

Bill Leiner Jr., CTW president, underscored McNeill's statement, saying, "As a family that has struggled with heroin addiction, it is a scourge. If you see negative changes in your child, seek help.

"Go to a counselor, your pastor, a teacher, anyone who can help you," Leiner said. "It may save your child's life."

Coplay Mayor Joseph Bundra and Lehigh County Executive Tom Muller also were on hand to congratulate the CTW for its long commitment to Coplay.

Approximately 250 people attended the event, which was staffed by 20 volunteers.

The NNO is an event started and promoted by the National Association of Town Watch (NATW). The NNO has grown into an international event because of the outstanding efforts of the NATW. The CTW has been an NATW member since 1995.

Recently, the NATW spearheaded the Dog Walker Watch campaign. This resulted in the Dog Walker Watch Committee of the Coplay Town Watch.

In 2016, the CTW is planning to begin forming a link with the Whitehall Crime Watch to explore joint projects. CTW Vice President Kevin Keppel, volunteering at and attending his first NNO, said, "It is a great concept to link surrounding communities to fight crime. I'm excited for the future."