The already popular Punahou Alumni Association Hawai‘i (PAAHI) Family Bingo Night gained new followers from around the country this year, thanks to a new virtual format.
The family-friendly event is usually held in Dole Hall and includes a cafeteria-style meal, dessert, lively bingo callers and friendly competition. This year, because of the pandemic, the event was all-virtual. Alumni and family from 28 states and Japan registered to play the live games. Players were emailed bingo cards and joined a Webex room to hear the numbers called. A small, socially distanced group of PAAHI volunteers met in the Alumni House Annex to run the event.
Emcee Kalia Medeiros ’12 kept the crowd entertained and the energy high, while guest bingo callers President Mike Latham ’86, Grant Haverly ’33, PAAHI Chair Dawn Sugihara ’94, Chaplain Lauren Medeiros and PAA President Denise Eldredge Sagapolutele ’91 read out the bingo numbers.
There were corny bingo jokes and suspense-filled moments while cards and winners were verified, as well as requests for a hybrid format next year that can again include alumni nationwide.
Mahalo to the hard-working planning committee: David Haverly ’89, Krissie Kunimoto ’89 Leara, Joshua McDonough ’12 and Sandy Ng-Neibling ’90.