PHOTO PROVIDED Centre Hall Fire Company volunteers are shown with 86 Jared Boxes that were filled with items brought by Early Bird Bingo players during the Feb. 6 Bingo.

CENTRE HALL — Centre Hall Fire Company holds a First Friday of the Month Bingo at the fire station to raise funds to help with the needs of the fire company. However, during the 2026 Bingos, the fire company will be “giving back” by helping other organizations during their Bingos. At the first two Bingos this year, the Bingo players have contributed in amazing ways to support not only their fire department, but other organizations as well.

Players were encouraged to bring items to the Feb. 6 Bingo that would be put into Jared Boxes to be given to children who are patients in local hospitals.

If the Bingo players brought three items they could get their Early Bird Bingo packets for free. There were 110 people attending the February Bingo and they brought an outstanding variety of items — enough items that 86 Jared Boxes were packed full.

The Jared Box Project was started in memory of Jared McMullen, who was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 1999, to provide a shoe box full of toys and items that are given to children who are hospitalized. Jared passed away in 2000, but his memory lives on in each shoe box that is created. The Jared Boxes serve as a way of entertaining the young patients and taking their minds off their illnesses.

The Jared Boxes were packed after the Bingo by fire company volunteers and were being delivered to Mount Nittany Medical Center, Hershey Medical Center and Penn Highlands.

PHOTO PROVIDED Centre Hall Fire Company volunteers fill Jared Boxes for local hospitals.

In addition to the Jared Boxes, Centre Hall Fire Company will be sending $475 directly to the Jared Box organization, a donation that was made possible from a special raffle held during the Bingo.

Centre Hall Fire Company members commend and thanked each of the Bingo players for their awesome show of community support to not only the fire company, but to the organizations each month that the Bingos will help.

In January, the fire company was able to make a $2,005 donation to Penn State’s THON. The Bingo players contributed $1,005 and an anonymous donor pitched in $1,000.

Each month through May, the fire company has chosen a “bonus organization” to help during their First Friday Bingos.

The March 6 Bingo will help the Penns Valley Indoor Majorettes and Guard.

PHOTO PROVIDED Items collected from Centre Hall Fire Company’s February Bingo players will help to fill Jared Boxes for local hospital children.

The April Bingo will help both the Centre Hall Library and Special Olympics.

The Hope Fund of Penns Valley will be the bonus organization during the May Bingo.

More bonus organizations will be chosen when Bingo begins in the fall after the summertime break.

Visit the fire company’s Facebook page for more details on the First Friday of the Month Bingos and the bonus organizations that will be helped.