The game of bingo was unveiled at a carnival in 1929. The setting was not much different on Saturday when the Copperas Cove Five Hills royalty introduced bingo at the annual Rabbit Fest to benefit research to find a cure for Alzheimerâs disease and dementia in senior citizens.
Young Miss Five Hills Emily Kimball hosted the games of bingo in honor of Grandma Tru who has suffered with Alzheimerâs disease for more than five years and no longer recognizes her teenage granddaughter.
âWe raised money and awareness for Alzheimerâs and dementia research to help fight a disease that not only affects my family, but many others too,â Kimball said. âAbsolutely, I did want to raise money for my chosen cause. But this is also about providing a service to our community and supporting the Rabbit Fest.â
The coronavirus pandemic hit small businesses especially hard. In the early weeks, consumers buoyed small businesses with gift card purchases and online fundraising campaigns. But as COVID-19 persisted and restrictions constrained operating hours, many independent businesses continued to struggle.
Through partnerships with the Miss Five Hills Scholarship Program, more than 100 local businesses are seeing increased foot traffic as contestants and winners are now using their gift cards to visit local stores while family members in attendance make purchases, boosting both income and an increasing customer base.
âI was excited to visit a couple new places I hadnât been to before and see all that they had to offer. No Limit Custom Print made our wonderful pageant t-shirts that we will wear to many events throughout the year, along with our garment bags, and contestant gift bags. I learned about the many things they offer and highly suggest you give them a visit,â Copperas