Folks were shouting ‘bingo’ while celebrating the holiday season during a special retro Christmas bingo and bake sale held at the Venice Heritage Park on Saturday, Dec. 14.
The evening of games, socializing, and food took place in the basement of St. Anne’s Church on the site of the Venice Heritage Park at 6:30 p.m. The Venice community is located approximately 15 kilometres southwest of Lac La Biche.
Zack Bourassa, the secretary of the Venice-Hylo Historical, Heritage, and Preservation (HHP) Society, said the Christmas bingo event was a success, with over 80 people in attendance. Those who played their numbers in the hopes of winning prizes that were on offer used vintage slider cards, although modern cards were also available.
“Many great prizes were given out thanks to the generous donations given by many local businesses and community members, as well as Lac La Biche County who was the main sponsor of this event,” Bourassa told Lakeland This Week.
Spending a couple of hours playing bingo can sure cause a person to work up an appetite, so during the evening, hot dogs, sandwiches, and other staples were on sale at the concession area in the church basement. The event also included a bake sale that offered a variety of homemade goodies prepared by community members.
Fundraiser
According to Bourassa, money raised from the bingo event will go towards the HHP Society’s renovation fund. This fund is for repairs to the historical church building, which was decommissioned as a parish in 2013 but continues to be used for special events.
“Our current plan is to start with an overhaul to the kitchen and basement,” he stated.
Annual events
Each year, during the first week of June, the Venice-Hylo HHP Society hosts its annual Venice Picnic featuring an afternoon of fun activities, a petting zoo, music, and baseball games. As Bourassa explains, while the next picnic will be taking place on June 1, 2025, there are no official plans in place for another event.
The society’s events committee, he said, will continue to organize seasonal events on a case-by-case basis. While it has yet to be determined what these activities will entail, they could include more bingos.
“We have received very positive feedback from our old fashioned bingos, so it is quite likely that we will continue to host more of these in the future,” Bourassa said.
