The Big Sandy Mountaineer -

It’s Bingo for the entire family Sunday January 27th. The Christ Lutheran Youth are trying to create a fun family afternoon starting at 1:00. The cards are only 50 cents per card for adults. They can’t charge kids to play, so they are asking adults to attend with their children. There will be snacks and prizes.

They are looking for donations from local businesses or individuals to support the activity. Depending on how it is received, and how many people like playing Bingo at least one person said they would like it to be a regular event.

It is a money-making activity for the youth as they are trying to build up their account which will allow them to do other worth while activities.

It would be difficult to find someone who doesn’t know what Bingo is. But just in case Bingo is a game of chance. Each card has five columns with numbers printed in different arrangements on the 5×5 cards. You win “Bingo” when you match the numbers the caller draws out which match the numbers that you have on your card. If you have a straight line of matched numbers you yell out Bingo. Once it is verified everyone clears their cards and the came continues or starts over.

Bingo is a spin-off of a lottery game called “Il Giuoco del Lotto d’Italia” which was being played in Italy in 1530. France and Germany created their own versions which were similar. In the 1920’s Hugh Ward, of the United states, created the Bingo we know today. He copyrighted it and established a rule book in 1933. It was popular at traveling carnivals and county fairs. By the 1940’s Bingo games were in every state. No one knows how it got the name Bingo, because it was first called “Beano” because they used dried beans to cover the numbers.