2014 Super Bowl Extravaganza GFAFB

The 319th Force Support Squadron hosted another successful and entertaining Super Bowl Extravaganza event, Jan. 18, 2014, at the Fitness Center on Grand Forks Air Force Base, N.D. More than 400 Airmen, friends and family attended the event. About $16,500 worth of autographed sports memorabilia were awarded during prize drawings, auctions and games of bingo. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Senior Airman Xavier Navarro)

The Final Bingo Game at 2014 Super Bowl Extravaganza GFAFB

Abbey Machado (left), 319th Medical Support Squadron and Ed Prasnicky (right), 319th Force Support Squadron civilian training technician, play the final Bingo game of the night, Jan. 18, 2014 at the Fitness Center on Grand Forks Air Force Base, N.D. Prasnicky won an all-expenses-paid trip to Super Bowl XLVIII, which is scheduled to take place Feb. 2, 2014, in East Rutherford, N.J. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Senior Airman Xavier Navarro)

2014 Super Bowl Extravaganza Grand Prize Winner

Col. Paul Bauman (left), 319th Air Base Wing commander and Ed Prasnicky (right), 319th Force Support Squadron civilian training technician, pose with four members of the Minnesota Vikings cheerleading team while holding up a congratulatory sign recognizing Prasnicky as the grand prize winner of the 2014 Super Bowl Extravaganza, which was held, Jan. 18, 2014 at the Fitness Center on Grand Forks Air Force Base, N.D. Prasnicky won an all-expenses-paid trip to Super Bowl XLVIII, which is scheduled to take place Feb. 2, 2014, in East Rutherford, N.J. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Senior Airman Xavier Navarro)

Football fans tackle SBE

Published Jan. 24, 2014
By Staff Sgt. David Dobrydney
319th Air Base Wing Public Affairs

GRAND FORKS AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. -- More than 500 base community members turned out January 18 to battle with bingo sheets for the chance to go to Super Bowl XLVIII in New Jersey.

The 319th Force Support Squadron event has been held for eight years on Grand Forks AFB and is the largest of its kind in Air Mobility Command. This year 20 sponsors contributed $16,500 in prizes including the biggest of all, two tickets to the Super Bowl with travel and lodging included.

The extravaganza consists of 10 games of bingo, interspersed with raffles and drawings for various pieces of sports memorabilia. The winner of each sports prize could either keep the item or "auction" it off.

Julie McWalter, 319th FSS director of marketing, said that is part of the allure of the event.

"In this culture we all take orders," said McWalter. However, in the time it takes to decide whether to keep or sell a prize "you're king of the world," she said. "You're the master of your own destiny."

Indeed destiny took a hand when it came down to the final round of bingo, a "blackout" round where players had to fill in every number on their sheet.

As the game progressed, there were two simultaneous declarations of bingo. One ticket was held by Ed Prasnicky of the Education Center, and the other by Staff Sgt. Brian McNerney of the 319th Civil Engineer Squadron.

It was decided to settle the tie with a coin toss, a la the real Super Bowl. McNerney won the toss, but could not accept the prize due to an imminent deployment.

With still no clear winner, another round of bingo was called for. This time it was a simple round of straight bingo, but once more there was a tie. Even more incredibly, one of the winners was Prasnicky! The other winner of the round was Abbey Machado, a contractor working for the 319th Medical Support Squadron.

This time the tie was settled with one final game of bingo. In his third victory of the night, Prasnicky won the round and became the recipient of the grand prize.

"I'm in shock," Prasnicky said as he was presented with the prize package and had his photo taken with cheerleaders from the Minnesota Vikings. "I wasn't even going to buy a ticket if [my co-workers] hadn't been going."

Last minute surprises aside, McWalter said that even for those who don't win a prize, the coming together of sports fans is reward enough.

"It's so fun to walk into that gymnasium and see everyone dressed up for their favorite team," she said.

Indeed, everyone present had a good time, even those who were not there just to play bingo.

"My squadron said to me 'we have to work this, but it's okay because it's fun!'" said Staff Sgt. Sharon Siciliano, 319th Communications Squadron radio frequency transmission technician, who was part of the team running the speakers and microphones for the event.

"It's the best base function I've been to, and I've been in 12 years," Siciliano said.