For six or seven years, Bingo was going strong at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church in Mill Valley.
Then… the pandemic began and gatherings were no longer possible. Now, this great community event is back, as Mark and Shawn Klender, along with parishioner Jill Thornton, have stepped up to reinstate Bingo for our church and for our local community. “Bingo brings everyone together, and it’s been so long!” says Mark Klender.
Using historic cards and a classic lightboard, Bingo emcee Mark Klender offers a variety of popular games, including Four Corners, traditional Bingo, Diagonals, T-Bingo, and Black-Out. Bingo cards are one for $10, 2 for $15, 3 for $20, and so on. Players can win gift cards to local businesses, including the Depot, Equator Coffee and Stefano’s Pizza.Organizer Shawn Klender recalls the great success of OLMC’s two street fairs, which were open to the community at large. “People came and connected, from the church and from the community, all mixing. That’s what we’re trying to recreate now, with Bingo.”
Bingo is a great way to meet new people and build community in Mill Valley. Folks bring their friends and neighbors. Some attendees at our October event came because they were recruited by parishioners; others “come to win!” as participant Jackie B. noted. “It’s for people of all ages,” she added, “It’s a clean sport.” Community member Gail fondly remembered playing Bingo at OLMC when her kids were little.And kids do have a blast at Bingo! Levie, for example, always chooses a card with his lucky number (#33) on it, while Huxley tells us, “It’s very fun! It gets you all excited and guessing!” Ethan, age 12, says he came to see what it was like, since he was only five years old the last time he participated, while Liam says he comes for the food.
Indeed, food of all kinds is available for purchase, including hotdogs, pizza and cookies, as are soda, beer and wine.Bingo will take place on the second Friday of the month (excluding December) for the foreseeable future. The next event will be on Friday, November 8th starting at 7pm in the gym (located in North Bridge Academy, 17 Buena Vista Ave, right next to the church).
All are welcome! We’d love to see you there!