Eva Barnett, president of Thrive at Lester Park, told the Standard-Examiner that Thursday’s event is nearly a year in the making as advocates have worked to make the park a little safer.

“We’ve been working for about a year to get a new crosswalk installed over at 24th (Street) and Jefferson (Avenue),” she said. “That’s part of a bigger goal of increasing safety, access and use of Lester Park.”

Thrive applied for and received several grants as well as help from the city to install the new crosswalk signage and infrastructure.

Barnett said the event will be hosted by many of those who partnered on the project, including Ogden City, the Ogden Civic Action Network, the Weber-Morgan Health Department, United Way and Modern Woodmen.

Activities will include a free dinner, music, bingo, soccer with law enforcement officers, games and a ribbon-cutting for the crosswalk.

“(This will) bring a sense of community, health and activity to a park that has not had very much engagement in positive ways lately,” Barnett said.

Additionally, she said there had been previous attempts to collaborate with the Ogden Police Department on an event.

“We hoped last year to have an event at Lester Park with the Ogden PD,” she said. “They have been incredible at keeping our neighborhood safe, being quick to respond when there are any issues, and we just want to keep fostering good relationships with the neighborhood and the police department. Unfortunately, last year we got rained out, so we weren’t able to have our get-together with the police department.”

Barnett said that the timing is right to work with the Police Department on an event.

“Even though it took longer than we’d hoped, the timing really does seem perfect to have this crosswalk and to be able to celebrate it with a city organization that works so hard at keeping our neighborhood safe,” she said.

She said she’s unsure whether Picnic with the Police will become a yearly event.