Community Corner
Mum Season Kicks Off With Bingo
Community gathers at Polish American Citizens Club for Mum Bingo fundraiser.
By Erica Drzewiecki, The Bristol Press
June 15, 2022
Mum Bingo brought hundreds of people into the Polish American Citizens Club Sunday.
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This was one of several fundraisers for the 2022 Mum Festival, set to take place Sept. 23-25 with the theme, “Celebrating 60 years of Flower Power.”
“We’re really looking forward to this year’s festival,” Chairman Jack Ferraro said, standing behind a long table of raffle prizes.
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A lot goes into putting on the annual festival and entire season of Mum-related events.
The Bristol Exchange Club is behind all of it, with the help of volunteers and generous donations from the community.
“Linda has single-handedly refreshed the fundraising of the festival,” Ferraro said, pointing to Linda Salisbury, chairwoman of the fundraising committee.
Fundraising events like the Mum Bingo garner about $15,000 in total for the festival. In-kind donations like generators, tables, printing services, etc. from area businesses make up for about $40,000, and sponsorships comprise another $30,000. A $35,000 grant from the City of Bristol tops off the budget and that’s how the weekend-long celebration comes to happen each year.
“The Mum Festival is one whole year in the making,” Ferraro explained. “We start planning it as soon as the last one is over.”
Back in 2015 the 53-year-old Mum Festival was in danger of ending forever due to funding constraints. However, the Bristol Exchange Club stepped up to take on the festival in addition to the Mum Parade, which it had already been running since the beginning.
Linda Chadbourne and her daughter Ashley sold tickets at bingo Sunday and afterwards, mother and daughter sat down to play a few games.
“Anything with bingo I’m in,” Ashley said. “I’m a big bingo fan.”
They also host bingo every Wednesday night at the Polish Club at 6:30 p.m.
Sunday’s games all went to benefit the Mum Festival, however.
“We’re here to support the fundraiser,” Chadbourne said.
Coming this September the Mum Fest lineup will include a carnival, a parade, a car show, the Miss Mum Pageant, an arts event, food, vendors, a gala, and much, much more. Check out all the details at bristolmumfestival.com.
Erica Drzewiecki can be reached at edrzewiecki@centralctcommunications.com.
