After a year's hiatus, The Caring Place brought back the very popular Black Tie Bingo at Strongbow Inn Banquet Hall in Valparaiso in May.

Formally dressed guests enjoy cocktails, hors d'oeuvres, desserts, and live entertainment while playing bingo for fabulous prizes. Bidding on silent auction items continued throughout the event.

My fellow columnist Philip Potempa conducted a Heads or Tails game (assisted by Doug Kullerstrand) sponsored by The Times and gave away a basket with a pair of tickets to a Broadway in Chicago opening night performance and a wine and dessert assortment.

Pat Bodensteiner did a wonderful job as bingo caller.

Entertainment was provided by The Patti Schaffner Trio - vocalist Patti Schaffner accompanied by Jeff Otto on piano and Scott Pazera on bass.

Kudos to the hard working committee that made the night so successful, headed by Kathy Ireland, Carol Albrecht, Betsy Dunevant, Minakshi Ghuman, Susan Gleason, Mary K. Isaacs, Heather M. Klein, Kathy Mosak, Donna Peters, Debbi Reynolds, Mary Beth Schultz, Joanne Urschel, Annette VanSchoyck and Erin Woike.

All proceeds benefited The Caring Place, Inc., a United Way Agency that provides shelter and service to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault from Porter, Lake and Starke counties.

For more information on the services offered, visit my blog at http://www.nwi.com/blogs/insight.

Over the rainbow

The Irish say there is a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow, put there by a leprechaun. Northwest Indiana has its own leprechaun in the form of the Rev. Dennis Blaney, president of Share Foundation with the Handicapped, which annually hides leprechauns and pots of gold all over the fields of Rolling Prairie's Sharing Meadows in LaPorte County.

On Aug. 2, Share Foundation sponsors its 15th annual Leprechaun Hunt. This is an all-day event for the entire family which benefits mentally handicapped adults that the Share Foundation supports.

From 11 a.m. until 6 p.m., the day will feature events to keep the entire family busy. Hunting for one of 29 leprechauns hidden throughout the 185 acres of Sharing Meadows, worth anywhere from $50 to $1,500, is the main event. However, continuous Irish entertainment will include The Ploughboys, The Doolin Clan and the Villagers of Sharing Meadows.

Hay rides, rowboat rides on Tucker Lake and fishing are other possibilities. There will also be a variety of children's games and a Moonwalk as well.

For $40 per adult in advance ($50 at the gate), participants can enjoy food, beverage, entertainment and a day of family fun. Seniors 65 and older pay $35 in advance and $45 at the gate, while children 17 and younger attend free.

Admission includes all food and beverages for you and your little ones. Barbecued ribs along with an all-you-care-to-eat buffet of baked chicken, corned beef and cabbage, pulled pork, chicken, hamburgers, hot dogs, fresh roasted sweet corn drawn in butter, assorted salads, beer and wine for the adults and soda for the wee leprechauns. Save room for home baked zucchini bread topped with fresh berries and whipped cream.

The hunt is the foundation's largest fundraiser of the year. Sharing Meadows is between Michigan City and South Bend. Take U.S. 20 to LaPorte County Road 300 East.

For tickets or more information, call (219) 778-2585 e-mail share@sharefoundation.org.

Locally, tickets may be purchased from Mike and Sheila Clancy - Beverly Shores, Marty and Joan Collins - Munster, Bill and Anne Franz - Crown Point, and Tony and Lorry Lach - Valparaiso.

The opinions expressed are solely those of the writer. She can be reached at margaret.kullerstrand.nwi.com or (219) 933-3244, or visit www.nwi.com/blogs/insight.