UI event offers groceries and kitchen appliance prizes
There will always be a universal need for groceries in a student’s life, especially if the groceries in question are free.
Grocery Bingo is this month’s Late Night at the Rec event. Students will play bingo for bags of groceries and will be entered in a raffle for a grocery gift card and other kitchen appliances.
Genie Tran | Rawr
The University of Idaho will host its second annual Grocery Bingo at 9 p.m., Friday in the Student Recreation Center. Games at the event are free to play and open to all UI students.
The event will feature over $500 in grocery related prizes — bags of groceries, kitchen appliances and a grand prize of a $100 gift card to a local grocery store.
According to UI Campus Dietitian Marissa Rudley, there are 50 bags of groceries, ranging in prices from $5 to $40 per bag. Bags will include snacks, desserts and other food items to help make meals. Some bags will also be allergy-friendly.
The event is a collaborative effort between the Department of Student Involvement, Vandal Health Education, Campus Recreation and Vandal Nutrition Counseling.
Grocery Bingo stemmed from a student group recognizing a need for an event for off-campus students in addition to on-campus residents.
Rudley loves the enthusiasm from students at the event.
“Last year, we had around 250 students,” Rudley said. “This year we are expecting even more.”
Rudley said Ida-Vend, a healthy vending initiative on campus will provide healthy vending snacks for all participants at the event.
Amy Monroe, Vandal Health Education peer educator, has been preparing for the event for months.
“We’re targeting off-campus students,” Monroe said. “We passed out flyers and have been advertising for the event at apartment buildings around Moscow.”
Rudley had a last-minute tip for students who plan to go to Grocery Bingo. She said students can exchange their bingo board for another at any time to switch up their luck, they just are not allowed to have two at once.
“For many of us who work with students, this is our favorite event for the semester,” Rudley said. “This is the event I want every student I work with to attend because you can win free food and it’s really fun.”
Patrick Hanlon can be reached at [email protected]