Board games, Jack in the Box and Friday night. All of these things come together when the Board Games Club meets every Friday night at 6 p.m. in the dining room of the Moscow Jack in the Box. “It’s nice to meet there, because then no one has to worry about hosting at their own house,” club member Zoriah Wieth, said.

Club founder Sherri Kopel-Hamburg started the club a few years ago after her husband passed away. “I really loved board games and was looking for fun people to play them with,” she said. “So I thought a club would be perfect.” The club consists of people from all age groups living in the Moscow-Pullman area. “The youngest member is in high school and the oldest is a veteran,” Kopel-Hamburg said. “We usually have about 10 to 15 members show up each Friday night.” The Moscow Jack in the Box is their main location, because it is free and does not make the club buy food to use their facility. The restaurant allows the club to stay inside the building after their lobby closes. “We sometimes are there ‘til midnight and other times ‘til 10 p.m.,” Kopel-Hamburg said. “It really depends.” The Board Games Club does more than just play games. They also do many activities to stay involved in the community. The club has been involved in the local Toys for Tots drive and numerous other community programs, Kopel-Hamburg said.

“We recently just went to Spokane to do big gaming and programming at the SpoCon Convention,” said Kopel-Hamburg. The club has also traveled down to the Tri-Cities, Wieth said.

The night usually starts out with a light card game, and then the members break off to start various other board games. “The competition is relaxed,” Wieth said. “We do not keep track if people win or lose because we just like to play the games.” The Board Games Club does provide games, but they also accept donations. People can also bring their own personal favorite board games if they would like, Kopel-Hamburg said. It is a fun, relaxing atmosphere with people who love to have casual competition while playing board games, Wieth said.