B-I-N-G-O!

ST. IGNATIUS — The room was packed with families, every person waiting in anticipation for the next announcement to come over the loud speaker. Tensions ran high and even the littlest players were on the edge of their seats.

“B-7.”

Sighs of defeat were met by the shrill shriek and whoops of excitement as one lucky pig-tailed girl shouted her cry of victory while throwing her hands up in the air.

“BINGO!”

After the judges verified the win, the whole table rushed to where the prizes were laid out on a table in the corner of the room. Nearly 400 books were on display, organized by reading level.

St. Ignatius Schools annual Bingo for Books event celebrates ‘I Love to Read Month’ by getting as many books into the hands of children and their families all while having a good time doing it. It has been more than a decade since the event’s launch and has become a hit.

“It really is a family affair,” Susan Batiuchok, who provides reading and math support for the elementary school, said. “A tremendous crowd pleaser.”

The crowd, comprising around 175 people, packed into the school cafeteria grabbing a bingo card borrowed from the Catholic Church. Bingo for Books is made possible through the MOST grant, which is used to purchase the books.

At the end of the evening, every child who hadn’t won a prize was invited to come choose a book from the ones that were left on the tables. Altogether, over 300 books were placed in the care of eager readers.

“This event really does encourage reading,” Evelynn Jeonnotte said.

Jeonnotte, a librarian at the school, said she cannot stress how important it is to involve the entire family in the process of learning to read. If the parents don’t foster reading at home, they typically won’t keep many books at home for their children to read.

Concession sales proceeds are usually donated to a non-profit, but this year the proceeds TEA raised will be put toward the proposed new jungle gym for the elementary school.

“A playground is not a luxury. It’s a necessity for growing children,” Batiuchok said, as she sat taking money for cookies, hot dogs and bottled water.

She said it was the students who decided to keep the money in-house and who raised around $5,000 in a recent walkathon.

Connie Trudeau, who works in the elementary school office, said the school hopes to have the project completed by next fall.

“It’s a big undertaking but this little town has been known to do things like that,” she said.