Bingo’s back — with social distancing

By ERIC SEIVERLING

eseiverling@yourmvi.com

When Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf ordered the shutdown of all social functions due to the coronavirus pandemic in March, Stockdale Volunteer Fire Department Chief Tom Wilkinson watched two months’ worth of fundraising dollars go up in smoke.

So he and his crew decided to think outside the box.

Tuesday night, the results of the crew’s efforts came to fruition as the Stockdale VFD held its first-ever drive-in bingo game in the parking lot across from the station at 316 Railroad St. 

Taking a cue from drive-in movie theaters, players sat in their cars and listened to the game being called by assistant fire chief Jesse Stringer on FM radio station 90.1.

Volunteers walked through the parking lot handing out tickets and bingo cards to players for games such as King Tut, Diamond Dab, Pyramid and Horserace. 

Any players who hit bingo honked their car horn and turned on their headlights to signify they were holding a winning card.

Wilkinson said the outdoor event takes the place of the VFD’s Tuesday night bingo games in the station’s social hall.

“This is mainly the only way we get money,” Wilkinson said, noting that the VFD receives only $6,000 annually in funding from the borough. “We’ll be out here every Tuesday until we can get back into the social hall. This is how we pay our bills.”

Wilkinson said the station’s parking lot holds an estimated 300 vehicles, and if Tuesday’s turnout was any indication, he’s going to need every parking space.

“They get big crowds on Tuesdays but this seems even bigger,” Monongahela resident Debbie Pellegrini said while sitting with her friends Melanie Scaglione, Ashley Greenwood and Lora Pelissero, all of Monongahela. “It’s good to get out of the house.”

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