(Minghui.org) The city of Port Jervis in upstate New York held it’s annual National Night Out Against Crime event from 5 to 8 p.m. on August 28, 2024. The Falun Dafa booth and practitioners’ exercise demonstration were welcomed by local residents. The practitioners also debuted Shaanxi Drums that night and received warm applause.

Practitioners demonstrate the exercises at the National Night Out Against Crime community event in Port Jervis.

The National Night Out is an annual community event held across the U.S. to raise public awareness of crime prevention and strengthen the relationship between community residents and the police. This year marks the 41st National Night Out in the U.S., and the 16th year Port Jervis held this event.

Port Jervis is located at the junction of New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Agencies, groups, community organization members, and local residents from the three states participated in the event held at Riverside Park. Participants enjoyed free food and refreshments, DJ entertainment, free bicycles and prize draws, games and children’s entertainment, as well as demonstrations and displays of law enforcement, fire departments, and emergency medical services.

Due to the storm, the Port Jervis Police Department postponed the celebration which was originally scheduled for August 6 (Tuesday) to the end of August. Port Jervis Police Chief William Worden said that as the organizer, the police department received sponsorship support from dozens of institutions and groups. More than 2,500 people participated that night.

“The weather is good, [the event] draws many people to participate, and there is a lot of community spirit here. The police department, fire department, emergency medical services, etc. are all present. This is really a great tri-state community. [We] are really lucky to be a part of it,” Chief Worden said.

Practitioners’ Service Above Self

When demonstrating the exercises, Angela Lee, a local practitioner and former Rotary Club president, took the stage to introduce Falun Dafa (Falun Gong) and to promote community spirit of service above self.

During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Angela purchased 1,000 high-quality face masks from Taiwan and donated them to local police stations, fire stations, hospitals and other institutions. The local newspaper reported her good deed.

Angela said she did this because she greatly benefited from practicing Falun Dafa.

Angela, who is 75 years old this year, has practiced Falun Dafa for 26 years. She explained practitioners follow the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance to cultivate their character. The practice has spread to more than 100 countries around the world. Mr. Li Hongzhi, the founder of Falun Dafa, was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize four times. However, such a great and upright practice has been persecuted by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) since 1999. Practitioners in China are imprisoned, suppressed, sent to labor camps, and even subjected to the CCP sanctioned forced organ harvesting. On June 25 this year, the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed the Falun Gong Protection Act. Angela called on her fellow community members to learn more about the persecution.

Angela was a pharmacist before she retired. She was voted “Best Service Pharmacist” in 2011, announced by John Stanley, president of the American chain pharmacy Rite Aid. Out of nearly 10,000 pharmacists, she ranked among the top eight.

Locals Welcome Falun Dafa

People learn about traditional Chinese culture

Practitioners prepared three booths. The middle booth was used to introduce Falun Dafa and teach children to make paper dragons. The booth on the left was used to teach people to make paper lotuses. Practitioners demonstrated and taught the exercises in front of the booth on the right.

Many children wished to learn how to make paper lotuses and paper dragons. Practitioners introduced Falun Dafa to visitors and gave them hand made origami lotus flowers. Practitioners did the exercises on the lawn. The scene was peaceful and warm. People stood by and watched quietly.

A ninth-grade student (right) learns the sitting meditation.

A ninth grade student sat near practitioners and learned the fifth exercise, the meditation. A woman held a balloon which bore the words, “Falun Dafa is good,” and danced as she sang “Falun Dafa is good.” She said she previously looked up information about Falun Dafa on the Internet. The practitioner told her that people did the exercises every morning in the park and she was welcome to come and do them. The woman was happy and said that she would bring her husband so they could both learn them.

Practitioners also demonstrated the five sets of Falun Dafa exercises in front of the stage. A woman followed along with the practitioners’ movements as they did the exercises.

Angela learns the Falun Dafa exercises.

Angela learned about Falun Dafa during the event and went to the practice site in the park on Saturday (August 31) to learn the exercises. She learned all five sets of exercises. She was able to do the sitting meditation in a half-lotus position for an hour on her first try.

Shaanxi Drum Debut

Group photo of practitioners and the Shaanxi Drum during the event in Port Jervis on August 28, 2024

The highlight of the evening was when practitioners played a large drum which is popular in Shaanxi Province, China. Drums are traditional Chinese percussion instruments that have many functions, such as worship, music and dance, warning, and war. This large drum is usually played during the Chinese New Year or other major festivals, to welcome distinguished guests or to signify other major events. Many people said the drum performances were inspiring and they applauded as practitioners played.