Carson City Senior Center gets new bingo equipment

Bingo games at the Carson City Senior Center received a boost from a new bingo machine and electronic flash board, thanks to donations from community members and the Kiwanis Club of Sierra Nevada.

Games start at $1 a card with $50 to $120 payouts or even higher progressive payouts. All proceeds benefit Meals on Wheels Carson City.

Courtney Warner, executive director of the Senior Center, said the new equipment is the latest technology in bingo gaming, and has made the games more challenging and fun for the players. Under the leadership of Tom Micallef, the games change weekly to keep the semi-monthly event exciting for regular players, and still easy to follow for newbies.

“The organizers of the game have been very responsive to players,” she said. “The new games are more fun, more exhilarating to play, and we have volunteers who will help new players learn the rules.”

Donors include Harvey Cohen and Becca Krach, Kiwanis Club of Sierra Nevada, and the regular players of the center’s Thursday bingo group, led by Pauletta May and Lois Kelly.

The next Sunday game is March 10, at the Senior Center, located at 911 Beverly Drive. Doors open at noon and games start at 1 p.m. Thursday games are played every week at 1 p.m. Players must be 21 to play.

Warner said snacks, drinks and bingo daubers are available for sale and canned food is collected at every game for homebound seniors.

Despite increasing need for services in the community, Warner said Meals on Wheels Carson City has been able to meet the demands of delivering more than 300 nutritious meal for nearly 300 home-bound seniors each day and frozen meals on weekends and holidays. All of the money raised at the bingo games is directly used by Meals on Wheels Carson City and has been instrumental in providing much-needed funding not covered by state and federal grants.

“The bingo games are a great place to come and socialize,” she said. “Because of the generosity of several individuals, we’ve stepped up to the next level in bingo play, with exciting games and progressive payouts. The top payout of $1,199 hasn’t been taken yet, so we invite everyone to come down and play with us.”