With the help of Eric Melchor, the game of Bingo will be getting a SeeClickFix makeover. A Houston native, marketing pro, and superstar SideClick, Melchor recently launched Htown Bingo--a citywide Bingo tournament designed to empower citizens to take care of their community using SeeClickFix.

Having recently become a first-time homeowner in Houston, Melchor found himself wanting to become involved in his community, Midtown Houston. After reading about SeeClickFix in FastCompany,  Melchor thought the online tool could help him and his fellow residents become engaged in their communities:

I read how other cities were using the tool to fix potholes, recommend bike paths / racks, recommend community gardens, help reduce crime, remove graffiti, etc. The thing that really fascinated me was how residents could see other issues that were reported by their neighbors and they themselves could vote to fix these issues and comment on them as well. Much more effective than using 311 - since multiple voices are being heard and the issues could be tracked as well.

This is where Htown Bingo comes into play. Melchor hopes this fun and competitive game will not only raise awareness about issues in his environment, but also increase SeeClickFix activity in Houston--active citizenship with a competitive twist!

To participate, download the Htown Bingo board, and get ready to see, click, and fix issues in Harris County. The rules are simple:

Look at the revealed squares on the bingo board. When you find something around Houston that matches one of the squares (like graffiti or a pothole), take a picture of it and upload the information to SeeClickFix.com. You can use either the mobile app or SeeClickFix.com to make the report. After you’ve reported your finding to SeeClickFix, tweet the information and picture using the hashtags #htownbingo and #houston – or post it directly to Htown Bingo’s Facebook wall. Mark off that square off your Bingo board.

Every two to three weeks, new squares will be revealed by someone in the Houston community including bloggers, media outlets, and community centers. MommaFindings recently revealed the first Bingo square clue: Cleanup Day. You can get clues about the upcoming bingo squares on the site's 'Hint' section. Melchor believes this twist distinguishes Htown Bingo from the traditional game:

I'm realistic in the sense knowing that I won't be able to get all Houston residents using SCF over night, thus I created a game that will span out over the course of about a year.

Instead of yelling "Bingo," participants will be using social media channels to announce their win. After you've marked off five squares in a row, tweet the famous catchphrase using the hashtag #htownbingo OR post your win to Htown Bingo’s Facebook wall. The first ten people who get Bingo will receive prizes ranging from a Snuggie to $25 Amazon gift card.

The SeeClickFix team would like to thank Eric for not only spreading the SeeClickFix word, but also for demonstrating how one person can make a difference in his community. We look forward to seeing how the competition pans out, and hope you'll follow the action on Eric's blog, @HtownBingo, or Facebook!