For the Rotary Club of Fonthill, helping the community is in the (hand)bag. The service club is bringing back its popular purse lottery for a third year. Organizer Mel Groom said the Rotary was looking for some fundraising ideas and saw that Notre Dame College Catholic Secondary School in Welland did something similar, as had the Welland Rotary.
“It is a unique thing,” Groom said. “We thought, you know what? The timing is right for something like this, for fun and social for the community.”
It turns out the decision to host the bingo events was a savvy one. The nights sell out regularly and raise thousands for charity. Last year’s bingo, for example, raised $9,000 for Pathstone Mental Health’s satellite clinic at the Meridian Community Centre (MCC) and Niagara Nutrition Partners.
This year’s event will be held on Nov. 8 at the MCC in the Accursi Room. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
There will be 10 games of Bingo with a designer purse up for grabs from brands like Michael Kors, Coach, and Kate Spade.
“They're nice designer purses,” Groom said, adding that the bags are purchased for the event by sponsors, including local realtors, a fitness club, credit union, and others.
Tickets are $45 and include the 10 games and can be purchased at the MCC. There will also be an 11th game with a grand prize of a gift basket including gift certificates or products from various Pelham businesses valued between $1,000 and $1,500, Groom said.
Tickets for the grand prize game are $20 and can be purchased at the door on Nov. 8. Tickets for the main event are selling quickly, Groom said.
“We will sell out in the next couple of weeks,” Groom said. “And that's the beauty of this event. It sells out very quickly.”
Net proceeds from the event will be split between the Pathstone MCC clinic once again as well as Pelham Cares’ nutrition program.
