Finding Minnesota: Brookside Resort's Captain Bingo

PARK RAPIDS, Minn. (WCCO) – A superhero has been protecting a northern Minnesota resort for 36 years, but he hasn't aged much. He actually looks as young now as ever.

Captain Bingo first appeared in his mask and cape at Brookside Resort near Park Rapids in the late '70s.

Joanna Wallenberg, the co-owner, said it was around the same time that masked villains started disrupting the Thursday night activities around the pool.

"We've had a couple of evildoers come to our Bingo games," she said, "and they try to steal money or cards or just create a little mayhem."

Now when trouble arises, Captain Bingo appears on the roof of the clubhouse, leaps into the pool, and then chases the bandits away.

"My mission is to protect Bingo games everywhere from the nefarious criminals that are bandits," the Captain said.

When Captain Bingo first arrived, Wallenberg's parents, Dave and Mary Jane Keller, owned the resort. In fact, the masked hero strongly resembled Dave Keller.

"You know, there were similarities -- lucky guy," Keller said, "and it just kind of evolved."

In the '80s, a pint-sized hero, known as Bingo Boy, started appearing with Captain Bingo. He strongly resembled the Kellers' son, Jamie.

Now, Jamie and Joanna, along with Joanna's husband, Josh Wallenberg, co-own the resort. And Captain Bingo is still there to fight off the bad guys.

"I think he is one of the highlights of the week for people," Joanna Wallenberg said. "I think people love seeing Captain Bingo."

When the Kellers sold the resort to their kids in 2012, Jamie Keller thought it was time for Captain Bingo to retire too. But the returning guests wouldn't let it happen. He's just too popular. So he'll be at Brookside for years to come.

"He's kind of gone through a re-generation," Mary Jane Keller said, "and he does seem youthful, so my guess is another 30 years."

"You know those superheroes," Dave Keller said. "They go on and on and on and on."

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