Beating Covid-19 with fun and games!

The energetic bunch of 8-Tracks, our group for those who are 55 and older at Pine Acres Church in Weatherford, Okla., enjoyed a night of Bingo and a drive-in meal as our state was loosening COVID-19 stay-at-home guidelines. We didn’t gamble, but we did practice social distancing and we had a great evening of fun and reconnecting with other congregants and friends.

In this time where churches and others are looking for fun ways to connect, you may consider adapting this idea to fit your church, small group or neighborhood.

We started with a meal of chicken strips, salads and dessert. After each person/family parked, we delivered the meals to the car. Our food was prepared by one of our members—and she fed us way too much! Having a home-cooked meal added a personal touch. Another option is to pre-order food from a local restaurant.

After the meal, we asked participants to tune into a pre-arranged FM radio station from which we broadcast the Bingo numbers. If a radio station isn’t an option, you could use a loudspeaker.

When someone had a Bingo, they honked their horn to let everyone know. A volunteer went to their car to verify the win and presented the winner with a prize. You can play as many games as possible in the time you have. I think we played six games.

Another benefit of having the winners honk their horns was notifying the neighborhood of the fun and festivities going on in their area. All in all, it was a great success.

This was the first event we have had together since the virus brought America to a close. We strongly encourage anyone who wants to be together to try this event; it really was a fun evening.

We would like to thank Tony Cannon for submitting this E-idea. Tony is the Care and Connect Pastor at Pine Acres Church in Weatherford, Okla. He anticipates continuing to plan events with the senior adults until his retirement June 14, 2020.

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