Reese Family Fire Recovery Bingo!

Join us for an afternoon of Bingo to help our friends, the Reese family, as they recover from a devastating house fire.

Tickets are $10 at the door for adults, $5 for children and youth 18 and under, or $20 per family. Those who RSVP will receive a free Bingo card to play a special game with our best prize of the day. (Children and youth will play for separate prizes). Our professional bingo caller, Paul Martin, will host the event; with live music during the breaks.

Non-cash prizes will be awarded and we will be selling some yummy food, drinks and snacks to add to the recovery fund. Flo Monroe’s Bingo Cafe will feature hot dogs, hot sausage, pizza, nachos, cookies and ice tea.

You can also help by donating bingo prizes such as gift certificates/cards/baskets, artwork, services, games, or other new items.

To RSVP and/or make a donation, please fill out the online form here.

Here is a pdf of a donation letter that you can give to businesses that might be interested in helping. A poster is attached to the letter.
Reese Family Fire Recovery Bingo Donation Letter and Poster

Click here for information about parking in East Liberty.

About the Reese Family Fire
On Thursday, January 8, 2015, firefighters rescued three members of the Reese family from their burning home on McPherson Blvd in Point Breeze. Five family members fled outside after being awoken at 4 am by the piercing sound of smoke alarms, but three others – sisters, Joyce and Judy Reese and a baby in their care – were trapped inside. Firefighters arrived within minutes of the 911 call and rescued Joyce and the 10-month-old boy from the porch roof; Judy was in cardiac arrest when firefighters found her on the second floor of their home. The family lost everything in the fire.

The Reese Family
Sisters Joyce and Melanee Reese, with two sons of their own, decided a little over 20 years ago to help kids in need after learning how few black families there were in the foster care system. On Oct. 27, 1994, 2-day-old Clarisa arrived and then, a month and a half later, 3-month-old Christopher. Soon after that came Christopher’s older sister, Jessica, who was 2 at the time; and then Clarisa’s younger brother, Donald, who was 3 months old. Joyce and Melanee adopted these children and then four years later, 3-month-old Henderson arrived. When his little sister, Taylor, was born six years later, they once again took the baby in, to keep the siblings together.

In all, the Reese sisters are raising six children from three sibling sets. Each of them came to the women with medical problems and special needs. “Somebody had to do it. They needed somebody to care, and we had enough to give,” Joyce explains. The sisters raised all the children the same way: Be polite, do your schoolwork, don’t be disruptive and be good citizens. “We tried to give the kids a very well-rounded life experience,” Melanee said. All of the Reese children have participated in Hope Academy of Music and the Arts, taking piano, violin, ballet and acting. They take part in ELPC’s Club 116, and the Food for Thought mentoring program; and are also active in tennis, swimming and other sports.

THANKS TO THOSE WHO HAVE ALREADY DONATED TO THE REESE FAMILY FIRE RECOVERY BINGO!
This list will be updated as donations for Bingo prizes are confirmed. Please support these generous businesses, artists and cultural organizations; and consider becoming a donor yourself. Click here for more information. All donors will be recognized at the Bingo and on our social media pages.

Alternate Histories – Artist, Matthew Buccholz
Kate Barutha – Artist
Mitchell Barutha – Artist
big Burrito Restaurant Group – Mad Mex – Local Restaurant – East Liberty
Kelli Booher – Artist
Carnegie Museum of Art – Cultural Organization
Children’s Museum – Cultural Organization
City Theatre – Cultural Organization
Chamber Music Pittsburgh – Cultural Organization
Chipotle – Local Business (East Liberty)
Commonwealth Press – Artist, Dan Rugh
Everyday Balloons – Artists, Chris Bencivenga and Becki Hollen
Everyday’s a Sundae – Local Business (East Liberty)
ELPC Sewing Group – Mission-driven fiber artists from East Liberty Presbyterian Church
Garbella – Artist, Amy Garbark
Gauley Mountain Millworks and Lumber Company – Business
Most Wanted Fine Art – Artist/Cultural Organization
The PieceMaker Factory – Local Business
Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre – Cultural Organization
Pittsburgh Public Theater – Cultural Organization
Reconstructing Ideas – Artist, Dane Hovath
The Reef Resort – Cayman Islands
Union Project – Cultural Organization
Jenna VandenBrink – Artist
Whole Foods – Local Business (East Liberty)
WildCard Gift Shop – Local Business (Lawrenceville)

FOOD DONATIONS
Capri Pizza
Turner Dairy
Ventos Pizza

INDIVIDUALS
Damon Bethea
Carol Bonner
Cathy Callahan
Doris Dick
Dee Flaherty
Barbara Griffen
Kathy Hackney
Hallie Isadore
Diane Jackson
Johanna Jones
Marylou Karl
Robert Luka
Chuck Lukehart
Paul Martin
Denell McArthur
Jeff McLaren
Judy Menk
Norma Meyer
Flo Monroe
Jan Pressman
Carolyn Russ