I thought it would be a peaceful Friday night. I called some friends and we decided to head on over to the Sneads Ferry Community Center for a friendly ladies night of Bingo playing put on by volunteers of the Sneads Ferry Community Council.
We were one of the first ones there, paid for our bingo cards, got our seats and some concession snacks and settled in for some fun. It was set up for about 100 people. Within 5 minutes of us sitting down, there was a line out of the door of about 200 people. All of a sudden the volunteers who were putting on this event were running around trying to get up more tables and chairs for the influx of people they weren't expecting. And they did it! They sat 250 bingo players!
The games started and I quickly realized that these were some SERIOUS bingo players. I had flashbacks of attending bingo with my great grandma when she was in "the home". I was about 7 and she would let me spend the night at her retirement complex with her and she would take me to bingo in the Rec room where those ladies had some of the scariest looking troll dolls and gnomes "for good luck" I was told. They scared me half to death!
So we start playing bingo and it's intense y'all! Screaming, yelling, hooting and hollering. The prizes for each round were donated by vendors attending the event and setting up their products. I think the most popular prize was the Tupperware. Lawd let me tell you, when the Tupperware was announced the room erupted in applause and screams. I swear it was like the 80's all over again when Tupperware parties were popular.
We sat at a table with a group of girls, one of which was celebrating a birthday, and they were fun. They had double the cards and were just as intense as everyone else playing. We all hit it off. By the end of the evening, my friend Erica decided we all need matching shirts for the next time. My friend Jenn, who had never played bingo before, said she was quitting her job and becoming a professional bingo player. I looked around the room at the chaos and craziness and realized one thing...I found my people!!
And the best part...the proceeds from this event go towards upgrading and maintaining the center, putting on community events such as Shrimp Festival, Christmas in the Ferry, and kids events. Also at the end of every year 20% of the money goes back into the community. In the past couple of years the Sneads Ferry Community Council has paid off over $2000 in overdue lunches at Dixon High School and donated over $2000 to the Dixon school district CHEW program each year. Now that's a cause we can all support while having blast!
See y'all at the next Ladies Night Bingo, Friday, February 9th at the Sneads Ferry Community Center - 6:30pm
(L-R) Kristina Yates, Birthday Girl Sarah Morgan, Vikki Rehab & Danielle Vertolli