Who doesn't love a good game of Bingo?
This Saturday, Oct. 26, you will be able to yell "BINGO!" at the Diane Peppler Resource Center's (DPRC) annual Bingo Night held this year at the Elks Lodge at 1111 E. Portage Ave.
The doors open at 3 p.m. with Bingo starting at 5 p.m.
People can expect food, fun, and conversation about how we all can support survivors in our community.
This event has evolved over the years from being an outdoor event in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic to being indoors.
"We started the event as 'Car Bingo' in 2020 as a way to fundraiser and provide awareness during the pandemic. Once the world opened back up again, we wanted to bring people back together in one space to encourage conversation about intimate partner violence. This led us to partner with the American Legion for the past few years and they were wonderful at accommodating us, however, the attendance has grown exponentially so we sought out a larger space, thus hosting at the Elks Lodge this year. We have chosen to host bingo twice a year, during April (Sexual Assault Awareness Month) and October (Domestic Violence Awareness Month) so this will be our fifth bingo event since 2020. Our Bingo events have been some of our most successful fundraisers, both monetarily and attendance-wise. It really is an event where people come together to have fun, support our mission, and maybe walk away with some cash," said Katie Barkley, Sexual Assault Response Team Coordinator and Community Educator at Diane Peppler Resource Center.
Barkley said the turn-out for previous events had exceeded expectations.
"At our last Bingo event in April, we had over 100 players and unfortunately had to turn people away because we were at capacity. The cost to participate is $30 which includes a bingo packet for nine games, one coverall game, as well as one ticket for raffle prizes. Payouts will be $30 for every regular game and the coverall game will payout $300," Barley explained.
While the event itself is fun and entertaining, the proceeds go to a serious cause.
"According to the National Network to End Domestic Violence, in 2023 2,919 survivors were provided shelter by domestic violence agencies in the state of Michigan and 900 adults and children received services other than shelter including transportation, housing assistance, legal advocacy, and counseling. There were 759 hotline calls, which averaged 32 contacts per hour. Locally in our tri-county area, Diane Peppler Resource Center has provided well over 1,000 more bed nights this year than last year. Statistics have both risen and fallen throughout the past five years, partially due to the pandemic. I think domestic violence statistics are difficult to get completely accurate because there are victims who don't seek help or report. I firmly believe the statistics are much higher than what is reported to agencies and the state," Barkley said.
Barkley is passionate about helping out those who experience domestic violence and she believes DPRC is an important asset to the area.
"Diane Peppler Resource Center has been around since 1979. DPRC was started as Chippewa County Domestic Violence Center by Diane Peppler, Elizabeth Foley and a group of like-minded individuals in the community before there were any laws against domestic violence in the state of Michigan. DPRC's mission is 'To provide a safe and violence-free atmosphere, from domestic and sexual violence, human trafficking, teen dating violence, and stalking. To educate our community, schools and systems that domestic and sexual violence can happen to anyone. To create a healthier environment honoring all genders, national origins, ethnicities, religions, races, and/or sexual orientations by providing ongoing public advocacy, education programs, and services,'" Barkley continued.
For more information, you can contact Barkley at: [email protected] or 906-259-0398
