The Lehighton Area Pool Pals will host a “Gift Card Bingo” event at 1 p.m. March 17 at the Lehighton Recreation Center, 243 S. Eighth St.

Doors will open at noon.

Advanced tickets for the event can be purchased at a discount at the Styling Zone or Perfect Balance Boutique, both in Lehighton, or online utilizing the QR code found on the Lehighton Area Pool Pals Facebook page.

Tickets at the door will also be available.. There will be a variety of food, drinks and snacks available for sale.

Tracie Saunders, committee lead for the event, expressed gratitude for the outpouring of donations received from the many businesses and organizations in Lehighton and neighboring communities.

All money raised from “Gift Card Bingo” will go toward the Linda Schoenberger Memorial Swim Fund, established to help memorialize longtime Pool Pal member Linda Schoenberger.

The purpose of the fund is to help those less privileged families in the community get a family season pass to Baer Memorial Swimming Pool.

This will mark the fund’s fourth year for this fund, with a total of 22 family season passes award.

The Pool Pals have set a goal to try and award at least one more pass than the previous year. Last year, there were 14 passes awarded.

The bingo event will be the final fundraiser before determining the amount of money available for 2024 family passes, which will be awarded in early April.

Any family feeling they meet the criteria for a family pass may apply using the form available at the Pool Pal web site lehightonareapoolpals.org.

Saunders shared that she had a conversation with Mark Hoffman, chairman of Lehighton Area Pool Pals, during which time Hoffman mentioned receiving a call from Nicholas Weinrich, the proprietor of Nicks Fix It, who asked if there was a way he could help the Pool Pals make sure they achieve their goal of awarding at least 15 season passes in 2024.

Hoffman said that Weinrich is donating the money needed to purchase a family pass. This donation will be added to the final tally of family passes awarded for 2024.

Anyone wishing to make a donation toward the Linda Schoenberger Memorial Swim Fund may send them to Lehighton Area Pool Pals, Box 583, Lehighton Pa. 18235, and indicate on their check that they wish to have the money be applied toward the fund.