Local Nonprofit Honors Pride Month With Innovative, Virtual Bingo

BOLINGBROOK, IL — To commemorate Pride Month amid the coronavirus challenges, a local nonprofit is hosting a virtual fundraiser on Thursday.

The Pride Bingo Fundraiser, organized by Bolingbrook Pride, will put an innovative spin on the traditional game as players will match names of LGBTQ activists, books, movies, while also learning fascinating information that will be peppered in.

The event starts at 7:30 p.m. and participants are required to pay $6 for the first game and $2 for each additional ones. A Zoom invite link will be sent out to all registered participants Thursday morning.

"Originally this was going to be a live event, but COVID-19 kicked in, and we had to alter to make it work," said Josh King-Slowinski, Bolingbrook Pride Board and Planning Committee lead. "It is something fun to do during these hard times. It is a light-hearted way to participate in Pride Month and specifically honor the leaders of the LGBTQ+ rights movement over the years."

He said the event will also be highlighting some Black leaders in "our history and using our platform to honor our heritage of love." All proceeds will be going to Bolingbrook Pride and will be used to host future events promoting diversity and inclusion.

Figuring out the logistics involving a virtual event was difficult and even though King-Slowinski has hosted bingo games before, he said he has never done so virtually, and "never during a time with civil unrest."

"We are trying to be sensitive to the Black Lives Matter movement, but recognize that we also need to share our pride," he said. "Bingo will be our second fundraiser during the pandemic – the first was a virtual trivia event. It is tough to fundraise right now, both because the types of activities we can offer are limited and because so many people are out of work and lack discretionary funds."

Bolingbrook Pride was formed in early 2018 as a grassroot, community-led organization. From the very beginning, it has been committed to promoting inclusion, unity, acceptance, open dialogue, and unconditional love in a time when these values are sometimes difficult to come by.

The Bolingbrook community has supportive of the organization and over 300 people had partaken in its annual picnic with very little advertisement.

"We are committed to reaching out to and supporting LGBTQ+ people and allies throughout their lifespan, including youth and families," King-Slowinski said. "We formed to connect with other organizations servicing the LGBTQ+ community in our town and its surrounding area to raise awareness and increase access to support."

Bolingbrook Pride has worked tirelessly to come up with ways to reach out to those who are struggling during the pandemic, and encouraged intersectionality and solidarity with the Black community during their current struggle.

"Ultimately, Bolingbrook Pride seeks to build a strong community, so that no person in our area has to experience the isolation and fear that many in the LGBTQ+ community experience," King-Slowinski said.

To participate in the Pride Bingo, call 708-752-5949 or email josh@bolingbrookpride.org.