Frito Pie Dinner and Bingo Night to Fund Camp Trek Scholarships

The mock pioneer experience known as Trek asks teenagers to haul handcarts across open terrain for days at a stretch, building physical endurance and spiritual identity in ways the congregation says no classroom can replicate. For the youth of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints at 1967 18th Street in Los Alamos, covering that cost has become a community cause. On Wednesday, April 15, the congregation is hosting a Frito pie dinner, bake sale, and bingo night from 6 to 7:30 p.m. to raise money for both Trek and a traditional summer camp.

Marilyn Ramsey is handling pre-sales via Venmo at @mlramsey10; anyone purchasing in advance should note "Frito Pie Fundraiser" in the payment memo. Organizers are asking for advance purchases specifically to calibrate food quantities for the evening. Tickets run $10 for adults and teens, $5 for children 12 and under, and $40 for families. Bake-sale items will be priced between $1 and $5, with bingo rounds closing out the night in a format designed to keep all ages in the room.

Volunteers with bingo experience are encouraged to help facilitate the games, and donations of home-baked goods for the sale are welcome.

Trek is not a conventional camping trip. It re-creates the journey of 19th-century Latter-day Saint pioneers, with youth pulling handcarts across terrain over multiple days, combining physical stamina, heritage, and team cohesion into a single high-stakes experience. Combined with a summer camp, the two programs represent a significant cost for families with multiple children enrolled.

Last spring, the same youth group staged a community yard sale at the same 18th Street address. That effort brought in enough to cover the majority of summer camp expenses; this year's dinner-and-bingo format is designed to build on that momentum. Organizers have been clear about the goal: no young person should miss Trek or camp because a family cannot afford to send them.

The church building at 1967 18th Street opens at 6 p.m. on April 15.