WOONSOCKET — The mood was festive in the parish hall of All Saints Parish on Oct. 2 as 150 parishioners gathered for a night of food, games, and prizes.
The parish was hosting ‘Family Night and Meat Raffle,’ a monthly fun-filled gathering, which begins with a pasta dinner, followed by a meat raffle, along with historical trivia, children’s activities, and other games and prizes.
“We’ve made a commitment to family activities that bring us together and are grounded in our faith,” said Father Mark Sauriol. “It builds community, it’s simple to do, and we can laugh and have fun together.”
Father Sauriol was on the microphone for most of the night, energetically leading the crowd through the 10 rounds of the meat raffle. At its end, 500 pounds of packaged chicken and steak were raffled off. Between rounds, the crowd was entertained by Father Sauriol’s jokes and historical trivia, with topics ranging from 1960’s television shows to the original cost of a Burger King Whopper.
With the night’s events in full swing, the children of the parish were enjoying the various projects set up at an arts and crafts table. Then, it was the children’s turn to try and win some prizes during a game of bingo.
“We want to make sure it’s an event for the whole family, so we try to cater to the kids,” said Father Sauriol, who noted that the evening is only possible through the hard work of parishioners who volunteer their time and resources. “We have tremendously dedicated volunteers who allow friends and family to come together and have fun together as a community,” said Father Sauriol, “Even the teenagers get involved and help watch over the younger kids during the night.”
The event, which is held on the third Friday night of every month, has run for three consecutive years at All Saints Church.
At a cost of $20 per family and the help of volunteers, this month’s event was able to raise $1,500 for the church. However, Father Sauriol explained that these nights aren’t intended to be fundraisers.
“The money we raise goes to the operations of the parish,” he said. “But the night isn’t really about making money; it’s about building the community of the parish.” After the children’s bingo was finished, the night’s grand finale took place.
Raffle winner and parishioner Jean Felix got to try her luck in The Cashinator — a glass booth filled with blowing dollar bills. With money blowing all around her, she reached out and grabbed as many of the bills as she could as the crowd cheered her on.
It was an exciting end to a night that brought members of All Saints Parish together in laughter and fun.
