If there were such an award, I’d present it to Trish Houck, her daughter, Leah, and son, Eric. The family will be honored for volunteerism this Friday evening, Apr. 3, at the AIDS Fund’s annual Black-Tie GayBINGO fund-raiser at the Crystal Tea Room.
GayBINGO, of course, is the hilarious, campy fund-raiser held monthly at the Gersham Y to benefit the AIDS Fund. It’s described on one website as being “just like grandma’s bingo only way more fun.”
And tres more gay: Men in drag, looking better than many women do on their wedding day (well, except for that beard stubble...), roller-skate around the room, verifying Bingo wins. But it’s a welcoming scene for straight folks, too, who want to support a good cause while having a blast.
Once a year, GayBINGO goes black-tie fancy to applaud its more committed volunteers. The Houcks, who live in Bridesburg, are among this year’s honorees.
Trish began volunteering at GayBINGO five years ago with Leah, then a freshman at Central High School who needed to earn credits for community service. Leah and Trish threw themselves into myriad AIDS Fund activities, including its annual Walk Philly, the AIDS Fund’s biggest event. Once Leah entered Kutztown University, Eric, now a Central junior, took up the cause.
For their cheery loyalty, the Houcks will be recognized as the Ferrara Family Volunteers of the Year, presented by the AIDS Fund each year for outstanding service.
They should also be acknowledged as the cutest family. That’s Trish, in the center, who looks so young, I thought she was Leah’s sister when I first saw this photo.
Volunteerism for AIDS causes - maybe uases it’s the new Fountain of Youth?
When my phone rings here at the Daily News, nine times out of ten the caller begins the conversation with, “Yeah, so what happened was…”.
Because this is Philly, the caller doesn’t say, “My name is Bob” – or Mary – “and I wonder if I could have a moment of your time?” Philadelphians are too direct for that. They just say, “Yeah, so what happened was…”, and then tumble into a tale they think oughta be shared with a wider audience. I love getting these calls (even the ones where it becomes clear, after 30 seconds, where the caller sowed the seeds of his own misery), because they give me chance to connect with fellow citizens in a way that no other job allows. Well, okay, no other job for which I’m remotely qualified.
That’s why my blog is titled “So What Happened Was…”. To me, it’s the quintessentially Philly way of saying, “Once upon a time.” When I hear it, I know a good story is coming. And I can’t wait to see how it turns out.
Ronnie Polaneczky has been an award-winning columnist for The Philadelphia Daily News since 1999, offering a front-steps perspective on every aspect of city life, from the sublime to the stupid. In her past life, she was the editor-in-chief of Atlantic City Magazine, associate editor at Philadelphia Magazine and a fulltime freelancer published in Ladies Home Journal, Good Housekeeping, Redbook, Reader's Digest, Men's Health, MarieClaire and others. She lives with her husband, daughter and various pets in the city's Fairmount section, where she dreams of one day singing The National Anthem at an Eagles game. In addition to her column and blog, you can enjoy Ronnie's musings in podcast form here.
Read more from Ronnie Polaneczky at Earth to Philly, the Daily News blog on anything and everything "Green
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