CAB and HALO host Loteria, grocery bingo

Natalie Croze

The campus was abuzz as Washburn students gathered to compete in Grocery Bingo.

Grocery Bingo occurred Oct. 4 in Stauffer Commons, where students played to win groceries, toiletries and electronics. 

Washburn University Campus Activities Board and the Hispanic American Leadership Organization partnered to organize the event, which was a mixture of bingo and Loteria, a type of Spanish bingo that uses pictures instead of numbers. CAB and HALO frequently team up throughout the year to host events such as these.

Anneleise McEvoy, mass media major, was responsible for buying the groceries and coordinating advertising for the event. 

“To prepare, we went to Wal-Mart and we got a bunch of groceries,” McEvoy said. “Students can [win] groceries, instead of buying them.”

McEvoy encouraged students to attend events like these because of the prizes and for the social aspect.

“It’s free food,” McEvoy said. “You wouldn’t want to pass that up, and people are already making friends at different tables.”

Students were able to win more than just food items, including toiletries, gift cards, dorm room essentials and electronics.

“We have a couple of big prizes, like a bike, [a key locator], a Polaroid camera and a printer,” McEvoy said.

Over 100 students attended the free event, most of whom left with at least one prize. Throughout the night, the games alternated between bingo and Loteria, where the game leaders alternated between English and Spanish when calling out numbers and pictures.

Josslyn Brown, sociology major, attended the event and won a small bag of assorted snacks while playing Loteria. 

“It was really fun,” Brown said. “It was really hyped. Honestly, it was one the most fun events, so step out of your comfort zone [and go to the next one].”