The Surge
She expected six to ten players, and 31 came, in Siouxland
A new American mahjong group at a Sioux City parish drew a crowd of mostly newcomers at its first meeting, KCAU reports.
Liz Niggeling started an American mahjong group at Mater Dei Parish, Immaculate Conception Church, after discovering the game herself, KCAU 9 News reported on October 6. She told the station she had expected six to ten people at the first meeting. Thirty one came, and only a handful had played before.
"I never dreamed that we'd have this kind of turnout, because I enjoy it so much," Niggeling said, per the report. A KCAU reporter joined her Tuesday session, her second time hosting.
The station also pointed to other tables in the area, including Holy Cross Parish, North Sioux City, Oscar Carl Vineyard and the Siouxland Center for Active Generations, which the report says draws 30 to 40 people a week. The story cites Evite data showing mahjong game nights up 94 percent nationwide over last year.
In Prim's opinion, a first meeting that is mostly beginners is the best kind. Everyone learns the Charleston together, and nobody is the only new face at the table.