What began as a casual dice game has turned into something much deeper for a group of moms in Mt. Lebanon’s Howe neighborhood.

Once a month on Wednesday nights, 12 local women gather to play Bunco. The social, luck-based dice game is played with a group of 12. Prizes are awarded to players with the most wins, losses and the most Buncos, earned by rolling three of the number that matches the round they are playing.

Beyond the game, they have built a strong support network — offering laughs, friendship and a sense of community that extends far beyond the game table.

“It may look like we just play Bunco once a month, but during those two hours, we are sharing anecdotes, solving problems and collaborating on projects, big and small,” said Jen Webler, Castle Shannon Boulevard.

The group’s founder, Emily Balestreire, Bridgewater Drive, said the idea was inspired by her mother, who has played with the same Bunco group since Balestreire was in elementary school.

As a mom of two young boys, Luca (8) and Leo (7), Balestreire was looking for a fun, low-pressure way to better meet her neighbors. She slowly built a group of 12 players with a permanent sub. Today, the women take turns hosting in their homes, providing dinner, snacks and a welcoming environment.

“Emily brought together a group of local moms who were once strangers across Howe’s playground, and now are a community within a community,” Webler said.

Players include teachers, a therapist, an antiques seller, a PTA volunteer and a psychiatrist. “It’s such an eclectic group,” Balestreire said.

Since launching in the winter of 2023, the group only missed one monthly game night due a storm and widespread power outages in late April. Still, the group informally gathered in a backyard that month.

“We sat around and they helped me make necklaces for kindergarten orientation night,” Balestreire recalled.

The camaraderie often extends beyond game night. Group members check in on one another, lend help when needed, and even travel together. In May, the group took a trip to Lake Chautauqua in New York, and in March, all but two members traveled to Deep Creek, Maryland.

“We’re just kind of always there for each other,” Balestreire said. “If you need something, you just text the Bunco moms and somebody is going to step up to the plate.”

Balestreire is active in the Mt. Lebanon community. She previously served as secretary and playdate coordinator for the Mt. Lebanon Moms Network, worked as an assistant teacher at Sunset Hills Nursery School and will teach preschool at Southminster Nursery School in the fall. She is also preparing to serve as PTA president at Howe Elementary School in the upcoming school year.

For group member Bethany Repcheck of Sleepy Hollow Road, Bunco is more than a monthly tradition.

“I look forward to the time we spend together each month laughing,” Repcheck said. “I hope we’re still doing this 30 years from now.” While Bunco is a game driven by luck, the friendships it has created it the Howe neighborhood is anything but random

“Strong female groups like this contribute to making Lebo such a special place to live,” Webler said.