Since 1929 bingo has been a popular game of chance as well as a fundraising standby for churches and charities. It can also be a way to foster a sense of community during a global pandemic as Felician University Alums & Friends discovered Thursday, August 11, when they played the second in a series of virtual bingo games as part of their Alumni Networking events.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic forced learning online back in March, Felician University and its Alumni Board have sponsored virtual events on a variety of topics including business opportunities, health care, and remote learning. According to Diane Sedlmeir, Director of Alumni Engagement for Felician, the idea for virtual bingo, sprung up organically among members of the Alumni Board, and on bingo nights she calls out the numbers. “Bingo has always been a big deal here at Felician and what better way to connect to our Alumni then through something they enjoyed during their time as students.”

Bingo is proving popular as people look for safe and fun ways to connect during the pandemic. Felician University alumni and friends can participate in virtual bingo games free of charge but donations are always welcome. Felician does give out small prices to the winners such as Dunkin’ gift cards, Felician tee shirts and mugs, and for the grand prize, a gift certificate to one of the local restaurants that are part of the Skopos Hospitality Group including the Barrow House in Clifton, Cowan’s Public in Nutley, the Vanguard in Harrison, and Franklin Social in Jersey City. Gifts aside, the bingo players say it’s the fellowship with friends that make it worthwhile.

Krystina Jimenez graduated from Felician in 2019 as a Natural Sciences and Mathematics major. She didn’t think it would be Bingo of all things that would bring her back to her Alma Mater but
found it to be fun. Playing virtual bingo brought back good memories for Victoria Cinquegrana who graduated in 2016. “This is a really good idea. We used to have bingo night all the time when I was an undergraduate and tonight reminded me of that time.” Virtual bingo is also a way for alums like Virginia Adamowski who now lives in Colorado to keep connected with Felician without having to travel. “It was really a lot of fun and I can’t wait to do it again,” adding, “I am thoroughly impressed with where Felician has come.”

If you’d like to join in on a future virtual bingo game contact Diane Sedlmeir Director of Alumni Engagement at SedlmeirD@felician.edu

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About Felician University

Felician University engages over 2,300 undergraduate, graduate, and adult students through programs in Arts & Sciences, Business, Nursing, and Education. Universal Franciscan values of social justice, compassion, and respect for human dignity serve as an inclusive foundation for transforming the lives of tomorrow’s leaders. Felician University’s education is ranked 3rd best return on investment for private colleges in New Jersey 2018 by the PayScale.com College ROI Report and is ranked #1 safest college campus in the state by niche.com.