Halloween bingo raises money for house renovations

Neighbors dressed in their scariest, funniest and more creative costumes for a night of Halloween-themed bingo to raise money for a Rescuing Families project.

According to Gina Centauro, founder of Rescuing Families, 185 people bought tickets for the Halloween costume bingo on Oct. 27. Community members gathered at the Veterans of Foreign Wars post 2718 in Franklin Square to raise money for the organization’s next project.

The nonprofit that helps families with a disabled loved one retrofit and renovate their homes so that they can easily navigate their house. The Reyes family in Valley Stream will be the next family to receive help from Rescuing Families, and has already had a bit of work done to their property.

Jessica Reyes, a family member who no longer lives in the home, reached out to Rescuing Families about her family’s needs. Her brother, Douglas Reyes, 43, became paraplegic when he was 18 years old after a swimming accident.

While Douglas has regained some mobility after physical therapy, he still needs help getting around. Jessica and Douglas’ parents have helped Douglas ever since then, but it has proved more difficult as time has gone on. Centauro said their father was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and his condition has deteriorated over time.

“We visited them and realized that they were in more need than they even realized,” Centauro said. “Or that they even asked for.”

In October, volunteers with Rescuing Families and National Grid went to the Reyes family’s house to do a bit of landscaping and fix up a ramp at the home’s entrance. The ramp had originally been built by a family friend, Centauro said, but needed a bit of work.

During the Halloween bingo, Rescuing Families was able to raise money for the cause. Attendees paid a $30 ticket fee for five bingo games, food and drinks at the event. To grab an additional bingo card, there was a $3 fee for each additional card. There were also raffle tickets sold for $5 for the 50/50 raffle and Chinese auction.

There was also a competition for the funniest, scariest, most creative, best overall and best couples costume that community members were encouraged to participate in. The idea for the themed bingo started back in 2021, when Rescuing Families hosted an ugly sweater bingo.

Since June, the organization has raised more than $35,000 for the Reyes family project.

“They’re project is huge, we’re doing the entire house,” she said. “So, we’re looking to raise funds any way we can.”

The nonprofit plans to work on the house after Thanksgiving, according to Centauro. The family will stay with Jessica Reyes while the home is renovated, and knows that the house is being renovated but don’t know exactly what work is being done throughout.

“They’re going to come back into their home in 2024 with a brand-new home,” she said.

For any community members who are skilled or unskilled with tools, Rescuing Families is always open to add a helping hand to its team. For more information on how to help out, visit RescuingFamilies.org.