Following an overwhelming response to its first Grocery Bingo earlier this year, the 574 Dakota Air Cadet Squadron Sponsoring Committee is bringing the family-friendly fundraiser back to Martensville, this time with a spooky twist.
The second Grocery Bingo will take place Friday, October 30th from 7:00pm to 9:00pm at the Northridge Community Centre, with doors opening at 6:00pm.
Event organizer Sarah Morphy said organizers were pleasantly surprised by the turnout at the inaugural event.
“The response to the first grocery bingo was very positive. The attendees and the volunteers all had a good time and many people said they hoped we would do it again,” Morphy said.
“I was very surprised at the turnout of the first bingo. I had my fingers crossed that we would have at least 100 people, but our final number was over 200.”
This time around, organizers are hoping to welcome approximately 250 people, a number Morphy said should be manageable given the size of the Northridge Community Centre and the number of volunteers available.
“We definitely learned a lot from the first bingo. Most important lesson was to open the doors earlier and have multiple admission tables to get everyone in the building,” Morphy said.
Advance tickets are once again available online, which organizers hope will help speed up admission, although cash admission will also be available at the door.
Admission is $15 and includes a three-up bingo booklet.
The basic format will remain the same, with winners taking home groceries rather than cash. Each bingo prize consists of approximately $50 worth of groceries organized around a theme such as pasta, tacos or breakfast.
Organizers are hoping to increase the number of door prizes this time around, including more non-grocery items donated by local businesses.
“Hopefully everyone will leave with something, whether it’s a can of soup, box of cookies, or a bag of groceries,” Morphy said.
“With the bingo being scheduled the day before Halloween, we thought it was only right to incorporate costumes and candy,” Morphy said. “It is meant to keep the bingo fun and inclusive of all ages, so hopefully we see a lot of people dressed up.”
In addition to 10 bingo games and a blackout game, the evening will feature costume prizes, a concession, door prizes, Good Neighbor prizes, a 50/50 draw and raffle tickets.
Proceeds from the event will support the 574 Dakota Air Cadet Squadron, while proceeds from raffle ticket sales will support the Air Cadet League of Canada.
Putting the event together requires several months of work by members of the Squadron Sponsoring Committee and parent volunteers.
“It really takes a lot of people working together to make it all happen,” Morphy said.
Because Grocery Bingo is a fundraiser, organizers also rely heavily on donations to provide prizes. Morphy said Co-op, Save-On-Foods, Shoppers Drug Mart, Independent Grocers and Venture Cranes have already provided support, although organizers are continuing to seek additional donations from local businesses.
With the success of the first event and another strong turnout anticipated this month, Grocery Bingo could eventually become a recurring fundraiser.
“We would love to have this become a regular event a couple of times a year,” Morphy said. “As long as the response is positive and we can continue to have the support of all involved, then we will do our best to deliver a night of family fun that everyone looks forward to.”
