Nametag Day at Fenway Park
Kick
off for “Unity through Community” National Night Out Celebration
WHAT: The
Boston Police Department in honor of National Night Out will distribute 40,000
nametags to attendees of the Red Sox V. Blue Jays Game. As part of National
Night Out Boston 2007, the Boston Police Department’s Neighborhood Crime Watch
Unit is embarking on "Nametag Challange" during the July 15 Red Sox game at Fenway Park. The goal of the event is to encourage the
approximately 40,000 fans in attendance to wear nametags that will be
distributed prior to the start of the game.
Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis will welcome the crowd and
officially kick off National Night Out Boston 2007. This year’s theme is “Unity through Community,”
which begins when neighbors get to know each other simply by learning each
other’s names.
The use of nametags comes from
Joseph Porcelli’s (BPD Neighborhood Crime Watch Unit) "Nametag Project”. Joseph, and others in the United States and Canada have been and are wearing
nametags everyday, all the time, everywhere they go, to encourage people to get
to know each other. The project has received national press. For more information on The Nametag Project visit www.thenametagproject.com.
WHO: Boston Police
Commissioner Ed Davis, Boston Police Command Staff, Red Sox Management, Judi
Wright, Director of the Boston Police Neighborhood Crime Watch Unit, and Joseph
Porcelli founder the Name Tag Project, and program Coordinator, Boston Police
Neighborhood Crime Watch Unit.
WHEN: Sunday, July 15,
1:30 to 5:00 PM.
WHERE: Fenway Park,
4 Yawkey Way, Boston, MA
National
Night Out Boston 2007 is the 24th annual citywide celebration to unify our
communities throughout the City of Boston.
This program cultivates and strengthens partnerships between the community,
youth, Police, city agencies and community-based organizations. National Night
Out also acknowledges the remarkable contributions of Neighborhood Crime Watch
groups, and seeks to increase participation in Neighborhood Crime Watch programs
among local residents. For more information about the Neighborhood Crime Watch
Unit and National Night Out visit www.BostonCrimeWatch.com.
A Microsoft Word version of the release may be downloaded here.
FAQ:
How did the Boston Police Department Get involved with the Nametag Project:
The Boston Police Department got involved with the Nametag Project because
Joseph Porcelli works there in Neighborhood Crime Watch Unit as a Program
Coordinator. Their mission is to deter crime and reduce fear. They accomplish
this by empowering neighbors with crime prevention and community building
tools. The first step in the process is for neighbors to get to know each
other. From knowing each other, they learn who belongs in their neighborhood,
that they are not the only people with concerns and are not alone. Most
importantly they learn that they can do something about whatever is going on
and that there are great resources available to them through Boston Police,
City, and Community Based Organization.
The
message of the Nametag Project serves the mission and is why the Neighborhood
Crime Watch unit choose to incorporate the Nametag Project into National Night
Out program this year with the theme of “Unity Through Community.” Community
starts by knowing you neighbors.
What is National Night Out:
National Night Out Boston 2007 is the 24th annual
citywide celebration to unify our communities throughout the City of Boston. This program
cultivates and strengthens partnerships between the community, youth, Police,
city agencies and community-based organizations. National Night Out also
acknowledges the remarkable contributions of Neighborhood Crime Watch groups,
and seeks to increase participation in Neighborhood Crime Watch programs among
local residents. The following is the National Night Out Schedule for Boston:
Why
Nametag Day at Fenway Park:
On the night the Boston Red Sox won the World Series Joseph Porcelli was
celebrating with friends at Hyde Square in Jamaica Plain. He moved by how
everyone was high-fiving, hugging, and cheering no matter the color of their
skin, language they spoke, sexual orientation, or age. It was the most positive
experience of his life. He has wanted to re-create that experience and it dawned
on him that Red Sox Nation would be a great community to engage in the Nametag
Project.
Where is Joseph Porcelli from:
Joseph Porcelli was born in Trenton,
NJ. He has lived in Jamaica Plain
for five years and it is the 24th neighborhood he’s lived in. He spent most of
elementary school year growing up overseas in Paris,
Mexico City, Toronto, and London
for a month. His international experience as a child forced him to learn
to quickly relate to people and make friends. He learned the best way to do
this is simply introduce his self. Today, his nametag lets others know he is approachable
and give them permission to say hello, though he often beat them to it.
