All -
I've been wanting to share a fun topic with some of my friends here, and now that we have some video posted at youtube, I thought I'd just post it in a discussion instead. Once annually, an ambitious group holds a fundraising event called Gay Bingo Charlotte. We used to have 6 bingos per season, but after 6 years of that, everyone got burned out (they are a LOT of work), so now we do a once annual mega event, which we held last Saturday night.
Our "Hostess" and emcee is Shelita Hamm (say that out loud), and the theme this time was "Shelita and the City". In the past we've had Grease Bingo, Beach Blanket Bingo, and many other recognizable themes.
In addition to Shelita, we have a group of about 12 BVDs - Bingo Verifying Divas. Then there's the rest of us, support staff who volunteer time and energy to set-up, operate concessions, and take down/clean up. Saturday I arrived at 9:15am to begin the floor layout and initial set-up with a close friend of mine. Shelita and the BVDs were already there practicing. Other than a 2.5 hour break mid afternoon, we worked the entire event including take down, and we left at 12:40 am.
It was a fantastic evening, and I look at the videos very fondly. In 2002, when I went to a bingo for the first time, I was so terrified that I basically just hid in the corner (it was much smaller then). I even had a bingo and just kept quiet. The next year I volunteered to help and now I'm concessions leader. At one time I had 115 $20 bills in my pocket from less than one hour of sales in the main concession stand.
This year was a complete sell-out, at 2,152 tickets. We earned over $100,000 in one night. FAB-U-LOUS!
Check out the links I placed below to a couple videos from this year's event, and one also from a 2006 regional TV show when we held what we thought would be the last Bingo. That video will help you see what Bingo is all about, though the first minute and a half is something unrelated....
You'll never catch me dressing like a BVD (behind the scenes in my jeans is just fine thanks), but it's fun to be there!
If any of you are near Charlotte next October during Bingo, I HIGHLY recommend an evening of frivolity and fun & fundraising!
I've been wanting to share a fun topic with some of my friends here, and now that we have some video posted at youtube, I thought I'd just post it in a discussion instead. Once annually, an ambitious group holds a fundraising event called Gay Bingo Charlotte. We used to have 6 bingos per season, but after 6 years of that, everyone got burned out (they are a LOT of work), so now we do a once annual mega event, which we held last Saturday night.
Our "Hostess" and emcee is Shelita Hamm (say that out loud), and the theme this time was "Shelita and the City". In the past we've had Grease Bingo, Beach Blanket Bingo, and many other recognizable themes.
In addition to Shelita, we have a group of about 12 BVDs - Bingo Verifying Divas. Then there's the rest of us, support staff who volunteer time and energy to set-up, operate concessions, and take down/clean up. Saturday I arrived at 9:15am to begin the floor layout and initial set-up with a close friend of mine. Shelita and the BVDs were already there practicing. Other than a 2.5 hour break mid afternoon, we worked the entire event including take down, and we left at 12:40 am.
It was a fantastic evening, and I look at the videos very fondly. In 2002, when I went to a bingo for the first time, I was so terrified that I basically just hid in the corner (it was much smaller then). I even had a bingo and just kept quiet. The next year I volunteered to help and now I'm concessions leader. At one time I had 115 $20 bills in my pocket from less than one hour of sales in the main concession stand.
This year was a complete sell-out, at 2,152 tickets. We earned over $100,000 in one night. FAB-U-LOUS!
Check out the links I placed below to a couple videos from this year's event, and one also from a 2006 regional TV show when we held what we thought would be the last Bingo. That video will help you see what Bingo is all about, though the first minute and a half is something unrelated....
You'll never catch me dressing like a BVD (behind the scenes in my jeans is just fine thanks), but it's fun to be there!
If any of you are near Charlotte next October during Bingo, I HIGHLY recommend an evening of frivolity and fun & fundraising!
