Bingo players brave the elements on Cabin Fever Weekend

By Kelly Terpstra, kterpstra@charlescitypress.com

Bingo!

James Chapin made sure to yell it loud enough so he could collect his prize money.

Pink, purple and orange daubers were dotting numbers at a steady pace during Family Bingo Night at the Charles City Senior Center on Saturday.

It was all a part of Cabin Fever Weekend, put on by the Charles City Chamber of Commerce. It was also a chance for anyone to get out of the cold and line up winning numbers on their bingo cards.

Chapin raked in $100 in the Starz game. He said he is a regular bingo player in at the Senior Center on Tuesday nights and travels all the way down from Grand Meadow, Minnesota, about a 50-mile drive.

“He got gas money,” said his friend, Dale Madison, from Rockford.

Asked if he wins regularly at bingo, Chapin offered up the simple truth.

“Not real often, but it does pay once in awhile,” said Chapin. “I did today.”

Free popcorn and root beer were available for the roughly 50 bingo players who showed up to try their luck.

Julie Miller was the caller and announced the numbers selected from the 75 balls floating in the blower machine sitting next to her. Bev Grube helped with the food and the selection of bars and cookies available for sale.

Elizabeth Oleson, an eighth-grader at Charles City Middle School, won $7 on one of the first cards she played. She said she would have won more but had to split it four ways. She came with her grandma, Pat McCauley, who is a regular bingo player and lives in Charles City.

“We come every now and then. Well, my grandma comes every time,” said Oleson.