Lombard festgoers try their luck at bingo

David Bandy had a new way of getting around the Taste of Lombard Saturday after a lucky game of bingo.

The 10-year-old from Villa Park won a bicycle playing the children's version of the popular game.

After four unsuccessful tries, he sewed up the win with G59.

"I thought it wouldn't be right," he said with a grin. "I thought I had it wrong."

Bingo games were a hit Saturday, drawing people of all ages who wanted to take a seat in the shade try their luck.

"Bingo is kind of a staple of fests ... and you really get a mix of people," said Ed Bedard, a member of festival's bingo committee. "You get your mature American bingo fan that comes in and then a lot of young adults. It's fun."

Adult winners played for cash and restaurant gift certificates. But although there was money on the line, the mood in the bingo tent was light.

"If you feel you're getting close to a bingo, come on up here, I can be bribed," Bedard joked as the games began.

In her bingo heyday, Erika Klich of Elmhurst would have an array of knickknacks on the table for good luck and play about 24 cards at a time. These days, at the age of 83, her daughter Lydia Ruppenstein is her good luck charm and she sticks to a six card maximum. But bingo is still her game.

"I get out, I can play," she said. "If I win, I'm happy. If I don't win, I'm happy anyway."

Carole Curtin of Villa Park brought human good luck charms too - her mother, the "queen of bingo" and her husband, who lately has been "Mr. Lucky." She hasn't had much success playing at the Elmhurst VFW lately but she isn't ready to give up on the game.

"You can't win if you don't play," she said.

Nathan Madison of Villa Park certainly had luck on his side. He became the first winner of the adult games when N44 was called. But he admits there wasn't much of a strategy.

"The numbers come if the numbers come," he said.

Patti Argentati of Lombard says bingo is "innocent fun" and she just enjoys taking part in the festivities.

"I love the Taste of Lombard. We love Lombard period. (The festival) is family oriented, we see the same people every year and it invests in our community," she said.

Over the past 11 years, the Lombard Jaycees who run the festival have given out $33,000 in scholarships to area high school students and thousands of dollars more to other area charities.