The Bingo Good News: Betchay Won!

"I hope that at least one of us wins in this bingo, sa kinadami dami ng ticket na hawak natin," I commented to our classmates when I sought them out during an intermission halfway through the bingo between games.

"Betchay won na!" they all chanted in unison, with Lelette liftng the P8,000.00 cash money she had claimed for Betchay. This news was like a ray of sunshine on a rainy Sunday afternoon at the St. Scholastica's College Bingo Social, organized to raise funds for the centennial projects of our school.

Ia, my youngest daughter and I had arrived at around 2:30 p.m. just when the rain started to come down in torrents giving us a hard time getting out of the car. We hardly stopped to chat with Emi at the ticket tables to exchange our tickets for the bingo cards. Aside from the ten that we claimed, we were given 22 more to play for classmates abroad.
Ia and I got our feet wet looking for our classmates under the many tents that had been set up for the event, but rather than risk getting even more wet, and seeing empty seats in a table on dry land, far from the bingo area but near enough to a loudspeaker to hear the numbers being called out, we decided to take our places. And as the bingo was about to start almost an hour later, Sr. Lioba sat with us and offered to play one of our cards for us.

There would be ten games, all of which had cash prizes ranging from P6,000.00 to the grand prize of P100,000.00. For the first game, Ia and I had to play about 15 bingo cards each. It was a good thing the game was pretty simple. By this time the rain had abated into a slow drizzle, and the clouds were starting to open up. Then Offie Angeles-Marino and Ophel Mascardo arrived to help us out. And our mood changed to a more positive one.

There we were, the five of us, playing 33 cards. Eight each for Offie, Ophel, Ia and I, and one for Sr. Lioba. Aside from our own cards, we held bingo cards for: Loily, Liliput, Dada, Dory, Patty Zayco-Pascual, and Les Osmena-Aguado. We also held 11 raffle tickets. (Those paid for through Dada were with Emi) And as game after game was played, we wondered if we would win, even just one raffle prize.

So hearing the good news about Betchay really lifted up our spirits. There they were across the field, diagonally opposite us, seated in tables near each other: Lelette and Butch with Betchay's, Kathy's, Ella's and their own tickets. Ampy's and Gigi's drivers were also playing a lot of bingo cards for other US based classmates. Together with Liz, Emi, and Emi's whole family and churchmates, they were holding the tickets of Anonymous, Wilma, Myrna, Louie, Dada, Rory, Rea, and Tet, and some local classmates who couldn't make it, like Dess.

As I walked back to my table, I saw Joanne, and I heard that Juris and her brother were also in the crowd. Emi was happy to see Marylou del Rosario who had always eluded our get togethers and promised to join the class sometime. And of course, Ampy and Gigi were there on the stage.

The bingo social was coming to an end, and the last game, blackout bingo, began. And as the numbers were called out, it seemed that they were all on one of the cards that we held for Liliput. Excitement on our table started to mount, and soon, ahead of anyone else near us, Liliput was waiting for only one number - N23 - to win the P100,000.00 grand prize. Elsewhere, Emi's daughter Dea, was equally excited for a cards she was playing for anonymous. Alas, a grade school parent, beat us to the prize. Maybe she needed it more at that time.

Later, we were happy to learn that the following won consolation prizes: Dada won a tall lamp (nearly up to Emi's chest). Myrna won a mouse pad with the St. Scho centennial logo on it. Wilma won a stick-on pad set in a leatherette box. And our anonymous donor won three prizes: complimentary lunch or dinner for two at the Ayala Museum Cafe (bagong renovate yun), valid till Jan. 14, 2006; a gift certificate from Zoobic Safari, which entitles two to a full safari entrance at Zoobic Safari in Subic. And again, an overnight accommodation for four(!) in an
air-conditioned family room at Puerto Azul Golf and Country Club in Cavite, which is valid until Dec. 15, 2005. Afterwards, Dada was happy to tell us that our anonymous donor wants us to raffle out the prizes she won at our Christmas party. So parang nanalo na rin kaming lahat.

We went home happy. Even if none of the Manila Belles won, an afternoon with friends is worth the effort. But the fun did not end there. Last Monday, October 24th, Gigi Prats treated those that could make it to a dinner at SENTRO in Greenbelt, to thank us for a job well done. (Sayang I wasn't there).

Girls in the US, we couldn't have done it without your support. And Ampy and Gigi are happy to announce that SSAFI made their targetted one million pesos from the bingo. And as Ampy told me, "I am just so touched with the love and support I feel from our class." And from the bottom of our hearts, we thank you.

WHO AND WHAT IS ANONYMOUS DONOR?

When Dada reported that she had collected $380.00 for bingo tickets, one of our classmates, who wishes to remain anonymous, offered to double the money and sent her a check for another $380.00, making collections through Dada $760.00 in all. And as if that generosity was not enough, Loily decided to send $40.00 more to make the remittance through Dada an even $800.00. That's 80 tickets we played for you guys, almost the amount of our quota. Add that to those that were bought by the Local Coral Ladies and we went beyond our pledge. No wonder Gigi becomes the head of SSAFI when St. Scho has a major fund raiser. She has such a supportive and generous class!!!!