Players and charities win big at Kiwanis TV Bingo!
The Niagara region of Canada is the location of Kiwanis TV Bingo. Beginning its eighth year on TVCogeco Niagara, the Kiwanis clubs throughout the region offer Sunday evening Bingo. The initial airing for this television season will take place on September 9, 8-9 PM. This is local cable TV at its best. The three Kiwanis clubs that provide volunteers who operate the game show are: Stamford, St. Catharines and Welland.
Kiwanis TV Bingo
Project manager of Kiwanis TV Bingo, Jack McKiernan, points out that a large variety of local charities are supported through the Sunday Bingo revenue. The community receives great benefits. The Bingo dollars go to Easter Seals, day care literacy, student scholarships, fire victims, Women’s Place, hockey equipment for disadvantaged youth, projects for seniors at long-term care residences, and Kiwanis entities like Kiwanis Aquatics Center and Kiwanis Field.
Approximately $250,000 is donated annually! McKiernan commented that in looking for fresh avenues of fundraising in 2005, his St. Catharines Kiwanis Club fashioned their TV Bingo after a successful similar activity that had been running for 30 years through the Hamilton Kiwanis Club.
The Niagara area Kiwanis clubs began small, in just a few towns, and grew into its current region-wide base through the popularity of Bingo and the dedication of Kiwanis members. Every week, Kiwanis volunteers crisscross the region, visiting many variety stores and dropping off bingo cards. Each of the cards contains individual serial numbers, all of which are entered into the data base of a computer program.
Easy Way to Win
As of September 1, Bingo card packs are available for sale to the public at variety stores in 10 towns that dot the Niagara region. Each pack consists of three cards. Approximately 5,500 packs are sold weekly. The Bingo viewer estimate is 2,200 people throughout Niagara every week. On Cogeco’s channel 10, the numbers are called out. The station provides a TV Bingo telephone number for players who think they’ve won. The thrilled gamers read off the serial numbers of their cards. A computer confirms the players’ prizes.
A lot of the excitement of playing Bingo comes from the opportunity to win. In Kiwanis TV Bingo, the winnings are big. Every week a total of $2,500 is won. The prize money is increased to $3,500 one Sunday in each month. Excitement reigns as Central Taxi sends around its taxi drivers to deliver the winnings to the many ecstatic players at their homes on the same night as the TV Bingo is played. Friends often get together at Sunday evening Bingo parties, sitting around the TV, marking their cards, snacking and chatting.
Donating for the Fun of It
Kiwanis clubs in Niagara provide local residents with an enjoyable evening of Bingo. Along with the thrill of the game and the win, is the very real contribution to the various communities in the Niagara region of Canada. The hours spent each week by Kiwanis volunteers have resulted in enormous donations to community endeavors. Everyone wins with Niagara Kiwanis TV Bingo!
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