HOULTON, Maine — If bingo is your game, the Houlton Rotary Club has just the thing as the club presents its ninth Annual Community Bingo Night Thursday, April 6, at 6:30 p.m. at St. Anthony’s Hall.
Bingo Night was started to serve as the major fundraiser for the club’s Youth Exchange Program, which sends students to foreign countries on a cultural exchange for several weeks. The Youth Exchange Program was established by the Houlton Club in 2003. The objective of the program is to advance the knowledge and world understanding of the participating students.
In addition to local students traveling abroad, the program includes a reciprocal visit by a student from their host family. Over 25 local students have benefitted from the youth exchange program since its inception and the club is committed to seeing the program continue. The Bingo Night fund-raising event helps to ensure that.
“We have been fortunate to select students who have been wonderful ambassadors of the Rotary Club, our community and their schools,” said Houlton Rotary’s Youth Exchange Officer Dana Delano. “We witness a transformation in these students after they participate in the exchange program. They become more confident and the experience broadens their knowledge and interest in different cultures. They certainly make new lifelong friends.”
The Houlton Rotary Club has selected Rhetta Vega as its 2017 Youth Exchange student. Vega is a sophomore at Houlton High School. The daughter of Jennifer Vega, she is awaiting confirmation of where she will be visiting through the program.
For over 75 years, students and host families have broadened their horizons through Rotary Youth Exchange. More than 80 countries and over 8,000 students each year participate in the program, which is administered at the regional level by Rotary districts and at the local level by Rotary Clubs.
“The Houlton Rotary Club is proud to be able to provide these life-changing experiences to the youth of our area,” said Houlton Rotarian Nate Bodenstab, this year’s Bingo chairperson. “We hope the public will come out to support Rotary’s Bingo Night to help fulfill the dreams of more local students.”
The doors will open for Community Bingo Night at 5:30 p.m. Early Bird games begin at 6:30 p.m., with regular games starting at 7 p.m. More than $1,700 in cash prizes will be given out during the evening, which includes a $400 Blackout Game and a Winner Take All Game.
Only those ages 16 and older are eligible to play. There will also be a chance to win a $50 Andy’s IGA Gift Card for those who bring an item for the Backpacks for Kids Program. Further details on the event are available on the club’s web site www.houltonrotary.org and on their Facebook page.
