An event 6-p.m. Wednesday in Atlantic at Sunnyside Park, will serve as an opportunity for the community to show its support of law enforcement, for the healing of our country, and, for those protesting for justice, in light of the death over one-week ago in Minneapolis, of George Floyd. Event organizer, Ali Pieken, whose husband Dustin is with the Iowa State Patrol (& formerly the Atlantic Police Dept.), said she was approached by a local photographer with interest or an idea for our local law enforcement to do something in show of our support for what is going on in the US right now. The plan she and others came up with, is a program all local law enforcement officers can partake in. The Atlantic Fire Department will be there as well, and free hot dogs will be served.

Officers, Deputies and others will gather in the Camblin Addition for the event. They will form a large (socially distant) circle, and be asked to “take a knee,” if they feel comfortable. Local pastor Ben Winford will be in the middle of the circle to recite a prayer. Ali Pieken says “If you are not religious and would not like to be apart of the prayer, we understand but would love for you to see come and be apart of the event. I encourage you to invite your family and friends to be apart of this as well. It’s a beautiful thing when we can all come together. And it delivers a powerful message to our amazing community.”

Pieken says the event has a two-fold purpose:

1. To show support to the black community and everything that are feeling and facing right now
2. To show our support for all our blue family (law enforcement), and what they are facing right now all over the country.

The public is invited to attend. The event is NOT designed to be a protest rally or to reason to spark a riot. It is a time for the community to come together and draw strength for each other and our law enforcement community. Ali says “Although we do not anticipate riots breaking out in our community, we know some people are hurting and we want them to see the human behind the badge. We want them to be able to come out and support the badge, process their feelings, or simply be apart of the community coming together in these amazing United States of America.”