Despite the raffles, free food and Marine brass band second lining through Carriage Lane estates Tuesday night, Bonnie Romano doesn’t liken her annual Night Out Against Crime soiree to a party.

She can’t. That misses the point, she said.

“It’s about supporting our law enforcement officers,” she said. “We’re out celebrating our quality of life.”

From left, Paul Sedall, firefighter with Fire Protection District No. 4 in Mandeville, Lt. Fred Escher with St. Tammany Parish Sheriffs'€™ Office and State Police Trooper Tony Melerine practice their Hoola Hoop skills at Tuesday'€™s Night Out Against Crime celebration on Carriage Lane(Staff Photos by Matthew Penix, Debbie Glover and Anne Lautzenheiser)

With that in mind, Romano dedicates nine months a year to organized her Mandeville-area neighborhood’s National Night Out Against Crime event, which brought 450 neighborhood residents and law enforcement officers together Tuesday night.

The event, the largest out of several in the parish, offered free food from Papa John’s, Chick-fil-A and McDonalds as well as raffle giveaways that included free oil changes, dinner coupons, a New Orleans Saints football autographed by the team and owner Tom Benson and even a new stainless steel grill. But along the way it also morphed into the first and only event in Louisiana to be recognized in 2006 and 2007 by the National Association of Town Watch.

“If you like your quality of life you have to accept some responsibility,” Romano said the day after the event while hosing melted snow cones off her driveway. “It’s about Louisiana pride.”

Romano’s event, grown from a few pizzas and neighborhood chats in 2003 to the largest celebration in St. Tammany last year, has even caught the attention of U.S. Sens. Mary Landrieu and David Vitter and Gov. Bobby Jindal, who sent a videotaped statement to Romano to play for the crowd gathered in her front yard.

Although she couldn’t play the tape because of technical difficulties with her tape player, Romano spent the better part of the three-hour event rattling off recognitions from a miked podium from the two legislators and state governor.

In all, 10 individual law enforcement officers and first responders were recognized for their work, including State Police Troop L trooper Herman Newell as Uniform Trooper of the Year, Trooper Kevin Curlee for the Blue Marxx Award for solving 11 vehicle theft cases, more than another other trooper statewide, and Micah Doyle, a Mandeville fireman who was named firefighter of the year.

“This is a great thing for the community,” said Margarete Lamonte, a neighbor who slurped snowballs with her daughters at the event. “It bans us together and lets people know crime will not be tolerated.”Started 25 years ago, the National Night Out Against Crime is a celebration of law enforcement efforts to stomp out criminal behavior and meet community residents.

In 2007, more than 10,000 communities participated from all 50 U.S. states. Canadian cities and military bases worldwide also participated. In all, over 35 million people attended events last year, the organization said.

But in each event, law enforcement officers attended to shake hands with residents, look them in the eye and develop a community bond.

“It’s what citizens expect from us,” Louis Calato, State Police Troop L spokesman said. “We should feel approachable.”

That notion is Romano’s intent. After all her business cards say it all: Community Volunteer, committed to making a difference.

“We’re trying to show people that law enforcement officials are people, too. There’s a stigma that they can’t be approached. But they have house notes, car notes and shop at the same grocery store we do. They are just like us.”

She seemed to succeed.

A hundred or so law enforcement officers mingled with residents, shaking hands with kids and laughing at neighbor’s jokes. At times they felt appreciated, Romano said.

She told a tale to support her point. Two years ago, she hosted the event at her house and, in passing, personally thanked a fireman for his service. A few second later, he tapped her on her shoulder. Tears rolled down his cheeks. “He said, ‘nobody has ever thanked me for doing my job,’” Romano said. “It was very moving.”

To this day she can’t locate that fireman.

But it’s events like the one she planned Tuesday night that are for that mystery man and others who put their life on the line for St. Tammany area residents.

“I do this for them, for pride in my community. I live here. I want to be part of the cure and not part of cancer … I want to make a difference.”

With that said the U.S. Marine band second-lined down the street, trailing off to their bus to leave.