BY BECKY KISER
Hays Post
As usual, Hays police officer Ryan Blecha was on duty Thursday evening, but this shift did not require a patrol vehicle or even the official uniform.
This duty called for wearing shorts and a special T-shirt as Blecha manned the chip station in the food line for the Hays Police Department’s “Community Night Out” at the Hays Aquatic Park (HAP).
“He’s very important,” laughed Mackenzie Blecha, Ryan’s wife.
Mackenzie and daughter Gentry, 18 months, were some of the Hays police officers’ family members enjoying the fourth annual event. It included free swimming for everyone and a hot dog or hamburger meal for the first 1,000 people.
Gentry loves swimming, according to Mackenzie. “She’s been a water bug since she was six months old. She just goes and goes and goes, doesn’t care how cold it is.”
The Blecha family goes swimming together every couple of weekends when Ryan is off, but this weekday was a special experience.
“I think it’s important for us to show up also because we’re not only supporting him but were supporting the community and supporting the pool.
“I think it’s good for these guys to be out here and show their softer side,” Mackenzie said with a smile. “They get to communicate with everybody in an informal way.”
Ryan Blecha has been on the Hays police force for two and half years. “We moved here in March 2017 and then found out two weeks later we were having Gentry,” Mackenzie laughed again. “It’s in the Hays water,” she quipped.
Ryan is originally from Norton and Mackenzie is from Hoxie. She’s a dental assistant at Lifetime Dental Care. Mackenzie will be back at the pool Tuesday at 1 p.m. with her Lifetime Dental team. “We’re going to hand out Popsicles to all the kids just for a little fun summer freebie.”
Prior to joining HPD, Ryan served five years in the Marine Corps as a military police officer.
Mackenzie says the Marine Corps prepped her for the sleepless nights that come with being the wife of a law enforcement official.
“We did a seven month deployment so this was just kind of cake after that.
“Night shift is just a little bit harder. That’s another reason we’re down here today because we want to get every ounce of him that we can. He will start back on night shift in September so we’ll be missing him a little bit. It’ll be more of the single parent life.”
Hays police officers rotate between day and night shifts every four months.
Several city officials also enjoyed Community Night Out, including city commissioners Eber Phelps, Ron Mellick and vice-mayor Shaun Musil.
Phelps joked he was glad the event had not been scheduled for Wednesday when the high temperature in Hays was 107 degrees. Thursday’s high was 92 degrees.
Attendees also got to check out a HPD patrol cars, the SSRT (Special Situation Response Team) van and some of the gear used by the police.
“Community Night Out” is sponsored by the city of Hays, Walmart, Hays Recreation Commission, Pepsi of Hays, Heartland Building Center, Fraternal Order of Police Hays Lodge 48, Phaze 2 and Nex-Tech.
(Photos by James Miller and Becky Kiser)