Bingo at Nokesville Volunteer Fire Department Continues under the Auxiliary

Wednesday night Bingo at the firehouse has been a Nokesville tradition for over 30 years. For all that time, the familiar faces of the Bingo caller and assistants have been those of members of the Nokesville Volunteer Fire Department (NVFD). On Wednesday, October 2, the NVFD Auxiliary took over the Bingo operation.

The change was driven by the area’s growth and its effect on staffing needs. At 64 square miles, Nokesville has the largest coverage area in Prince William County and includes the new communities along Linton Hall and Vint Hill Roads. NVFD will open a second station in that area in 2004 and is actively recruiting new members to staff it. In the meantime, all current firefighters and emergency medical technicians (EMTs) are needed for emergencies and can no longer be spared for the Bingo operation, the major fund-raising activity for that fire station. Therefore, it was turned over to the NVFD Auxiliary.

According to Auxiliary President Gloria Monroe, some new games will be added to the regular line-up, including three more early bird games and a couple of speed ball games. Also, Bingo will now start at 7:00PM, rather than 7:15.

Taking over the Bingo operation places an additional burden on this valuable organization within the NVFD but Monroe and Loretta Shrout, Auxiliary Secretary, seem confident. After all, they’ve both been on the scene for the past 22 and eight years respectively. According to Monroe, who’s been President for over ten years, volunteers are always needed to help carry out the functions of the Auxiliary which raise money for the fire department. Anyone interested in learning more about volunteer opportunities or Bingo night is welcomed to call Gloria Monroe at 703-754-8455.