Scott Leiby of Northampton and Gale Focht had won the jackpot during a recent bingo held at the Northampton Community Center.

Leiby, a ticket seller who walks the aisles between bingo games selling tickets for the upcoming rounds, walked onto the stage, approached the microphone and asked Focht to join him on stage.

Although initially hesitant, Focht with some prodding approached the stage with a look of bewilderment on her face.

"I was surprised. I really didn't know what was going on," Focht said.

Dropping to the floor on one knee, Leiby, an accountant by profession, took a jewelry box out of his pocket, opened the case which revealed a diamond ring and, looking into Focht's eyes, he blurted out, "Will you marry me?"

Taken aback by the sudden announcement, Focht, a resident of Danielsville employed in products development, put her hands to her face and, looking at Leiby's smiling face, replied "yes."

Members of the crowd said they could not hear her barely audible response. As she became more comfortable with what was happening, Focht answered with a more convincing tone, "yes."

Leiby recalls they met at a bingo outside the borough years ago. Focht said she remembered it was at the Northampton Community Center during bingo.

Leiby, who had to return to the floor as another bingo game began, deferred to his fiancee's recollection of their initial meeting.

Regardless of whose account is correct, Focht said, "We first began talking to each other, then becoming friends and started to get together as a couple, which led to the surprise engagement."

Both said with the engagement just taking place, they have not yet discussed when they will be walking down the aisle to marry.