Jaycees pack 300 people into Holmes Theatre ballroom for Gun Bingo

Detroit Lakes, Minn. (KDLM) – The Detroit Lakes Jaycees sold nearly all 300 of their seats for their gun bingo event on April 29 at the Historic Holmes Theatre. 

The volunteer-service nonprofit gave away 14 firearms to the bingo winners with another seven guns available as raffle prizes. 

Nearly 300 people crowd into the Holmes Theatre in Detroit Lakes for gun bingo hosted by the Detroit Lakes Jaycees on April 29, 2023. (Michael Achterling / KDLM News)

Mandie Tretbar, the event organizer for the Jaycees, said she was proud of the community support for the event and also that the proceeds from the event will be donated to Wounded Warrior Guide Service, an organization that provides guided hunting trips for wounded veterans, and Gifts For Kids, an organization that provides holiday gifts for children from households that received some type of assistance. 

“They were buying tickets as soon as they came out and we’ve had messages and emails and calls, the whole two or three months they were out,” said Tretbar. “As long as people keep buying tickets, we’ll keep hosting it.” 

The event was also bittersweet for Tretbar since it was her last event as an official member of the Jaycees, whose membership consists of members between 18 to 40 years old. 

“It’s a little bittersweet,” she said. “It’s incredible (gun bingo) is going to be a huge success. Putting all this money back into the Jaycees before I “leave” … I’m still treasurer for Water Carnival, so I’ll still be around, but this is my last event being a coordinator. I should have been kicked out a couple years ago because I am turning 42, but they keep me around.” 

In addition to gun bingo the Detroit Lakes Jaycees will host the Northwest Water Carnival July 14-23. Any person who would like to volunteer during the annual summer festival should contact the Detroit Lakes Jaycees through their website or Facebook page.