WASHINGTON (7News) — Wearing clothing with their signature pink and green colors, members of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, the AKAs, walked into D.C.’s Southeast Veterans Center bringing Washington Commanders tickets and gift cards and bingo for vets on Veterans' Day.
The caller enunciated the numbers as vets sat around tables with their bingo cards, one per player.
The sorority members included Jennifer Coleman, a U.S. Army Major and member of AKA.
Why is she doing this?
“Why not, I’m a veteran myself. Thirteen years, major in the army and we want to give back to the community,” said Coleman.
The AKAs said this is a mainstay of their community service mission. They do bingo games for veterans.
Five came into this group. Most said they had parents or other family members who were veterans.
Some 60 veterans live at the Southeast Center, and a dozen or so came to play bingo.
Mason Wilson 73, is a Vietnam War veteran who says he served under the late General, then Major, Colin Powell.
“I was under him I was an E-3. That was in Dau Tieng,” said Wilson.
Another veteran, Michael Osborne, 64, said this center became his home after 20-30 years on the street.
“I’ve been in the woods a little bit, I lived in the shelters which ain’t no place to be, said Osborne.
It was a great way to spend a rainy Veterans Day afternoon.
After one veteran called “Bingo,” they gave him a choice: A $25 gift certificate to Walmart, or two tickets to the Nov. 27 Washington Commanders football game.
“Really?” he said.
He took the tickets.
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