Bingo and burgers will highlight the quarterly fund-raiser of the Exchange Club of Jones County Friday night, but the location of the event has changed in order to keep the players cool and comfortable.

Bingo will be held Aug. 1 at the former Jonesco lunchroom located behind the Jones County Government Center. Doors will open at 6 p.m. and bingo will start promptly at 7. The event is sponsored by the Exchange Club as a fund-raiser for the Jones County safe house, which is a joint project between the club and the Jones County Sheriff’s Department.

Hamburger plates prepared by the Lions Club of Jones County will be ready to be purchased when the doors open.

A cash prize of $25 will be awarded for each of six games with the final black out paying $250 to the lucky winner. Door prizes will be given away throughout the evening, and a half-and-half raffle will be held.

Admission for the bingo is $20 for a six-card package, and additional cards will be made available for each game as well as the final cover-all. The Exchange Club held several successful charity auctions throughout the years and had its first bingo last year to bring something new to the county. That bingo was also done in a partnership with the Lions Club and was successful for both organizations.

The Exchange Club of Jones County is in its ninth year of existence, and the history of the national club dates back to 1911 when a group of businessmen began meeting in Detroit to exchange business leads and information.

The safe house project is a perfect fit for the Jones County club. Sheriff Butch Reece had the idea of the safe house when the opportunity arose to utilize available FEMA trailers left over from Katrina. He said the trailers were received with the aid of the U.S. Marshal Service and explained that his department receives first chance at equipment and even furniture because the county houses federal prisoners.

The sheriff was looking for a civic organization to partner with his department to help with expenses, and he found that partner in the Exchange Club.

The safe house trailer has four bunk beds, a double bed, and a sofa that converts to another double bed. It had the necessary furniture but needed dishes, linens, small appliances, and food for the pantry. The trailer will sleep six comfortably and will be utilized for families in the midst of a domestic crisis as well as circumstances such as house fires.

Money to furnish the trailer was raised thanks to the generosity of the community by supporting the club’s yard sales, raffles, salsa sales. Fund-raisers like the bingo will help to pay continuing expenses, such as food for the families and utility bills.

For more information about the Aug. 1 bingo or the safe house, interested parties may call 936-9127.