VFW puts on St. Patrick's Day fun

The leprechaun's "gold" coins on bingo spots might not have brought any more luck, but the contestants had fun, said Heather Allen, who coordinated the St. Patrick's Day Dinner and Bingo night at the VFW in Plains last Thursday night.

Twenty-two kids and adults participated in the club's first St. Patrick's Day Dinner and Bingo celebration from 5:30-8:30 p.m. at the VFW hall. The VFW Auxiliary ran the dinner with corned beef and cabbage tacos and the club conducted the bingo session after dinner. 

Auxiliary member Angela Muse, who cooked the meal, said they sold 92 tacos for $3 apiece, taking in nearly $300 for a successful night. She said some people bought eight tacos. Muse was assisted by Auxiliary members Janet Brandon, Nora Verpoorten and Pamela Lynch. Muse was pleased with the turnout. "Many people were skeptical about what a corned beef taco would taste like, but everyone thought they were really good, and I thought they were delicious," said Allen. 

Allen had hoped for a few more people for the bingo, but said everyone had fun, especially the five kids. She said the gold coins were used to cover the bingo card squares, but they were larger than the bingo spots, which led to some people using candy from their leprechaun pots instead. About a dozen people took time to put their heads in a photo backdrop that turned them into leprechauns.

This is the second monthly dinner and bingo event for the VFW, starting with a chili dog and bingo celebration on Valentine's Day, which had fewer participants, said Allen, the VFWs quartermaster and the bingo caller. Club member Dave Brandon assisted Allen. Pamela Lynch provided mini spice cakes with green icing and sprinkles that were given out during the bingo break. 

The club hall was decorated in green and plastic green necklaces were handed out. Bingo was free and winners received a bag of goodies instead of money, although Allen said she's looking into starting money bingo. Cash winnings will depend on the number of participants. They played 17 games and gave away 22 gift bags, five hats and a T-shirt. Allen said almost everyone left with a prize. Seventy-two-year-old Tom Wachob dyed his beard green for the occasion and his wife, Sherryl, 71, tinted her hair green. Allen wore a miniature green leprechaun top hat.

Allen said it was a great family event. She added that they want to have a dinner and bingo night once a month. "We're hoping people will see that the VFW is a family place and not just a bar, said Allen, who also said the club is planning a taco dinner again next month and maybe will include a trivia night.

Allen said the VFW is planning major renovations over the next few years, starting with remodeling and updating the bowling alley with new lanes and automated scoring. In addition, they want to extend the basement to make an arcade room, a party room and ax throwing lanes. The bowling alley will be done in a patriotic theme with military branch insignias on the lanes. She believes phase one will cost around a million dollars, which she hopes to raise with donations, grants and fundraisers. She said they'd also like to add a second floor to the building, which will house a meeting hall, offices and a kitchen. The bar and present hall will also be renovated, and she said they plan to keep the club open during renovations.