It's been over a year since the Belle Valley Fire Department was filled with people socializing and playing bingo. But finally, bingo is back, and players are more ready than ever.

"It's very exciting. It's very exciting to be back. It's long overdue for us,” said Bingo manager, Anthony Bruno. He volunteers to run bingo nights at BVFD. Before the pandemic, he said it wasn’t unusual to see the social hall lined wall to wall with people coming out to play.

He clearly remembers the day before they were forced to stop calling numbers. "In the beginning it was so unclear on how this was going to go, so it was shocking. It was shocking for everybody,” said Bruno.

But a year and one month later, doors are open again. Games are filling up with people hoping it's their lucky day. “Just to win. Just to have fun,” answered Ruth Bridgett when we asked about her hope for the night. It’s her first time playing Bingo. She came to the fire department with her friend and neighbor.

Like everyone, she says she's missed having fun and being around others. "I just like being here, I hope I can make it out the next time,” said Bridgett.

The fire department president, Jeff Skonieczki, says bingo is much more to his team than a game. The money raised keeps their firetrucks moving.

Truck payments are nearly $32,000 a year… Bingo income, net income covers almost all that,” said Skonieczki.

Skonieczki says, luckily, his company was able to make up for lost income due to COVID-19 through grant money. He says his department was blessed to stay open, and they’re hoping all their bingo players come back to mark their cards. "We're definitely looking forward to the next several months of nice weather and a lot of bingo people here."