03/24/2026
Fourth Annual WCL Purse Bingo Delivers Fun and Prizes
The fourth annual Women's Civic League of Wapakoneta Purse Bingo, held Saturday, March 21, at the Knights of Columbus, drew a crowd. In addition to 20 designer purses awarded as bingo prizes, the evening featured raffles, 50/50 drawings, tip boards, a cupcake challenge, and door prizes—giving attendees plenty of opportunities to win. The Knights also served a delicious meal, along with snacks and drinks.
Mary Ellen Fry, who had with her the bright yellow purse she won at last year's event, was the winner of the first 50/50 drawing for $200 and said she was "thrilled." When asked if this was her first WCL bingo, she said, "No, I went last year and won a purse—the bright yellow one—so I decided I had to come back since I won the first time." When asked if it was a good event, Fry said, "Yes, it is."
Two friends from Mercer and Van Wert counties attended the event for the first time and said they "really like it," noting that everyone was very friendly. One of the women was celebrating her birthday the following day, while the other purchased 50/50 tickets, tip board chances, raffle basket tickets, and bingo cards. They said they found the event on Facebook and chose which purse bingo events to attend based on how the proceeds would be used.
Shelby Fisher had a very lucky night, saying the evening "was great—a good time!" She won a designer purse during bingo, a large raffle basket featuring Italian foods from Jungle Jim's, and an ornament as a door prize. She has attended all four of WCL's purse bingos and also attends other purse bingo events. Fisher said she likes how organized and well-run WCL's event is.
Tina Fisher, a WCL Purse Bingo committee member, told the crowd that, thanks to last year's purse bingo, WCL provided many Wapakoneta students with clothing and supplies through its Karing for Kids project. The crowd was also impressed when Fisher announced that WCL awarded $10,000 in scholarships to graduating seniors last year—$2,000 each to five students—made possible by proceeds from the purse bingo. WCL has made many other donations over the past year, including to the Wapakoneta Middle School book "tasting" event, Acacia of Hope, and the Heritage Trails Park District, among others.
This fundraiser would not be possible without the support of those who attended the event. Proceeds from the event—excluding food sales—will support the scholarship fund and Karing for Kids. Karing for Kids supports students in the Wapakoneta School District by providing clothing, supplies, and other necessities so they can be part of, rather than apart from, their peers. WCL sincerely thanks all who generously contributed to its success.
The Women's Civic League would like to thank the men of the Knights of Columbus for their diligent work preparing a delicious meal and for cleaning up. In addition to serving the meal, they also served as bartenders for the evening.
WCL would also like to thank its sponsors, without whom the event would not be possible: Wapakoneta Eagles, The Vitality House, Schlosser Funeral Home, Block Insurance Agency, Wapakoneta VFW, Finkelmeier Insurance, The Whaling Knife, Dayton Dragons, Toledo Mud Hens, Armstrong Air & Space Museum, Northwestern Mutual—Ross Steiner, First National Bank of New Bremen, Wapakoneta American Legion, Binkley Real Estate, Alan Davis Insurance, G.A. Wintzer & Sons, Kings Island, Weisenmayer Law Offices, Wapakoneta Country Club, Cincinnati Reds, Casa Chic, Tip Backs, Aaron Winget, Tenet' Killebrew, Barb Will, Sandy Horst, Nancy Stroh, Kay Alt, Tina Fisher, Mary Johnson, Cindy Dennis, Lois Dammeyer, Laura Clementz, Jennifer Brown, Diane Aufderhaar, and Chandra Hoffman.
