Tag: Bingo

More than 450 people turned out to advocate for CASA–a worthy organization that advocates on behalf of children in Walker, San Jacinto, and Trinity counties. Once a year, they bring supporters together for their annual “Christmas in July” fundraiser, and this year the result was a sell-out.

The evening began at 5pm, with an hour of mingling, “shopping,” dining, and other festivities. It gave us a chance to catch up with each other and our table mates.

Our tables consisted of: Ken and Nicole Holland, Michelle Spencer and Jessica Twardesky, Judge David Moorman and Christie Moorman, Mac and Leanne Woodward, Mike Yawn and Stephanie Fors, Victoria McClendon-Leggett, Roxana Woychesin, and various LEAP Ambassadors.

In addition, we had a chance to run into community friends. One of the nice aspects of volunteering for different organizations, for example, is that we get to see people we volunteer with elsewhere! We had the opportunity to chat with Dottie, a committed member of the Lion’s Club, who joins us at 6 am to put out flags on major holidays.

We also ran into Nancy Ormsby, who was volunteering, which is no surprise. She and her sister, Lois Stehlik, volunteer everywhere–they are great community assets.

At 6pm, the Bingo commenced. Rob Hipp was on hand to emcee;

CASA board members and advocates volunteered;

…team members from SHSU football served as auction spotters;

…SHSU Volleyball members helped put up tables and chairs at the end; and LEAP Ambassadors were on hand, not only as paying guests, but also to assist with the auction and take photographs.

There were 15 games of Bingo in all, with variations on the game in full force.

Hipp did a good job of moving things along, and about halfway through, we took a “game-break” for a live auction (thank you Kevin McMillian!) of children’s paintings.

Some sold for more than a thousand dollars!

Additional funds were raised through “adoptions,” a silent auction, and a call for donations. Last year, the event raised more than $100,000, a testament to the generosity of the community and to the staff at CASA.

In addition to the funds raised for a good cause, there was a whole lot of fun going on. There were, of course, 15 bingo winners, and there were winners for “Best Dressed,” “Best Christmas-Spirit Costumes,” and “most generous table.”

The winners were typically thrilled, and they were gracious, although the “bingo-offs,” which occur when two or more individuals “bingo” on the same call, could get heated…

But, of course, everyone ended up friends.

People returned to the many stations to meander to, seeing what could be bid on, tables of friendly people to converse with, and a photogenic selfie station.

This led to much fun, as did winning. One of our table members, Michelle Spencer, Director of the Boys and Girls Club of Walker County, won the blackout contest!

As noted, with 15 games of Bingo, there were many winners, and that doesn’t include those who won the raffles, the drawings, or the silent and live auctions. Of course, the biggest winners are those who most need some wins in their lives: the children whose families are caught up in court actions. The funds raised from this event go to support those children, ensuring they have outcomes that provide them with the best chances in life.

And, in a larger sense, everyone who attended the event was a winner in that they were all contributing to a cause that helps our community become stronger–and that’s a big win!