When rare opportunities present themselves, putting forth hard work can help make the best of them. In order to fundraise for Manhattan High’s upcoming summer trip to Italy and Greece in 2018, freshmen Duru Dogan, Abbey Shaneyfelt and junior MaKenna Eilert organized a bingo night at Purple Wave Auction on Saturday where any member of the community could participate in 12 rounds of the popular game.

“Initially, Abbey’s mom, Amy, came to the three of us with the idea of a bingo fundraiser and we all loved it,” Dogan said.

The success of the event was no stroke of luck. It had been in the works for over a month, as the organizers went out into Manhattan planning the night. They spent this time securing a venue, advertising around MHS, online and in town, and meeting with local businesses seeking donations.

“I learned that being involved in many different communities of people really helps when you want to put something together like this,” Eilert said. “It gives you access to a bigger audience of people who would be potentially interested in supporting you.”

The event included 10 classic bingo games and two special jackpot rounds as well as a raffle to conclude the night. Winners of the classic games received $10, the jackpot prizes consisted of gift cards from various Manhattan businesses and the items raffled were a football autographed by Bill Snyder, Kansas State T-shirts and hats. The setup of the fundraiser was planned by observing other similar events.

“After settling on a date, we went to the American Legion’s bingo games on a Sunday to see how they did theirs and to gain inspiration for ours,” Dogan said.

The bingo night raised over $900 to be put towards the educational trip. Dogan, Eilert and Shaneyfelt now look forward to the trip with great excitement, as each of them believe this trip will be something special and unforgettable.

“Ever since I was a kid, I’ve loved learning about Greek mythology and history and the fact that I’ll get to see it in the flesh blows my mind,” Shaneyfelt said.

She is also interested in the religious art and history Italy and Greece are famous for, as well as their customs and way of life.

“Going to Italy has always been a dream of mine because I would love to see all the places that we’ve read about in history books and seen in documentaries,” Dogan said. “Same with Greece; the history there is so rich.”

Amid the bubbling excitement that the prospect of an overseas trip brings about for these students, they also have a successful fundraiser to look back fondly upon.

“I would say the reason it went so well is because we put so much work into it,” Shaneyfelt said. “That’s something I can apply to any situation and a good reminder of what hard work can do. I definitely realized that teamwork was vital too, and trusting that the other girls would carry their weight — they definitely did. Also, preparing what you’re going to say before speaking into a microphone in front of a room of people is probably a good idea.”