March 29, 2024

BINGO! New United Way fundraiser set for March 29

Instead of searching for treasure, donors and supporters of the United Way of Jasper County will be shouting “BINGO” at this year’s annual fundraiser.

So Chic VIP Bingo is set to take place from 6 to 9:30 p.m. March 29. The event will take place at the Innovation Center in Legacy Plaza, 600 N. Second Ave. W. in Newton.

The inaugural VIP Bingo will replace the United Way’s annual treasure hunt and will be a fundraiser at $40 per ticket. Jessica Lowe Vokes, UWJC director, said tickets are already sold out to attend the event. She also said the change in the event’s theme was to make it so people of all ages can participate.

“The VIP Bingo event is replacing our previous treasure hunt event because I felt the treasure hunt limited who was able to participate,” Lowe Vokes said. “Whereas in bingo, anyone can participate. You can be 21 or 99 and still play bingo.”

VIP Bingo is for anyone over the age of 21. The United Way has sold 100 tickets to the event.

“That is amazing. I have never had that happen before,” Lowe Vokes said.

The event will have food from Magg Family Catering, prizes and the Bingo tournament. Some items at the prize table will be valued at thousands of dollars. Some prizes include jewelry, purses and vacation trips — all donated to the United Way. After people get settled in, guests will get a pack of cards to play along with a bingo dauber.

The idea for the event, Lowe Vokes said, came from her and her love for bingo. She used to go with her grandma and play in her younger years. If she wasn’t the organizers, Lowe Vokes said she would likely be participating.

“As things change in the nonprofit world, you have to find different ways to raise funds,” Lowe Vokes said. “I think this bingo thing will be an annual event that people will really, really look forward to.”

Contact Orrin Shawl at 641-792-3121 ext. 6533 or at oshawl@newtondailynews.com