Lions Club to hold annual Basket Bingo fundraiser

August 8, 2012

By WAYNE TOWNER (wtowner@newsandsentinel.com) , Parkersburg News and Sentinel

PARKERSBURG - The Parkersburg Lions Club will hold a Basket Bingo Aug. 11 at First Presbyterian Church at 1341 Juliana St.

Doors open at 5 p.m. and bingo starts at 6 p.m. The cost is $20 for 20 games.

There will also be an early bird drawing for advance ticket buyers, with advance tickets available at Mulberry Lane in Parkersburg or by calling 304-428-3377.

The basket bingo is an annual fundraiser for the Parkersburg club, and is now in its fifth year, said Lions member Harry Schramm Jr.

All proceeds benefit Parkersburg Lions Club Vision Projects. The Lions will also be accepting donations of used eyeglasses for raffle tickets for a special basket. Only those donating eyeglasses will be eligible to win the basket, with the more eyeglasses donated, the more chances to win.

The Parkersburg chapter of the Lions Club celebrated its 90th anniversary in March, Schramm said. The main objective of Lions Club International is to assist with sight-related problems and to make sure people with vision difficulties get problems corrected if possible. The club goes into elementary schools and conducts eye examinations on students in first and fifth or sixth grades.

The local club donates to the West Virginia Sight Foundation and to a group that trains lead dogs for the blind. Club members assist with providing holiday meals to underprivileged people, as well as helping with other community projects each year, he said.