BILLINGS – The Phillips 66 Veteran’s network held a night of neon-lighted-bingo at the Shrine Auditorium on Saturday to benefit the USS Billings Commissioning Committee.
“As a Navy veteran, it is a pretty big deal to me. And as a citizen of Billings, it’s a really big deal to me. And as a citizen in Montana, it’s a pretty big deal,” said Dave Ross, a Phillips 66 Employee and Veteran’s Network Team Leader.
Bingo buffs played four rounds of glow bingo and had the opportunity to buy raffle tickets with all proceeds going to the USS Billings Commissioning Committee.
Glow bingo provided a twist on the classic game with players marking their cards while wearing flashing accessories.
The USS Billings Commissioning Committee is a local group that is responsible for paying for the commissioning ceremony of the U.S. Navy’s newest warship: USS Billings.
Part of the expenses includes leaving some Billings related memorabilia on board the ship and throwing a welcoming party for the first service members to crew the new vessel.
USS Billings Commissioning Committee Co-Vice Chair Mike Yakawich said the committee plans to wrap a wall in the ship with a large picture of the rimrocks among other things.
Ross, a Navy veteran, is excited about the commissioning.
“It’s not very often that you get a US Navy warship named after your city. So it’s kind of a big deal,” Ross said.
The commissioning ceremony for the USS Billings is scheduled for August in Key West, Florida.
Story by Mitch Lagge, MTN News
