Every few years, the rock band KISS announces that it’s having a farewell tour.
And right on cue, people rush to buy tickets for their “final” chance to see Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley in all of their late-middle-aged glory.
That’s pretty much what happened at the Bridgeville Fire Department in October. Bingo crowds had been getting smaller and smaller in recent months and weren’t bringing in in enough money to make bingo a worthwhile fundraiser for the all-volunteer fire department
But when the department announced that it was having a last-ever bingo night in October, more than 120 people showed up, fire chief Bill Chilleo told council on Monday. That’s twice the number of people who usually came to play.
Maybe the fire department should follow KISS’ lead and stage farewell bingo nights every year or so. But in the meantime, there really is no more weekly bingo at the fire hall and no more weekly bingo income.
So, what kind of fundraisers should Bridgeville’s fire department be organizing so that residents don’t have to start paying for a service they now enjoy for free?