The game of bingo may seem trivial to some, but for those who visit the Senior Community Center of Owensboro-Daviess County, it has become a Wednesday ritual. For that reason, and so many more, a new bingo machine was not just a want — but more of a need.
From 9 – 10 a.m. every Wednesday, the center offers bingo that is open to senior members of the community for 50 cents a card. That 50 cents is then used to purchase items that the seniors request including snacks, items for meals, cleaning supplies and paper plates.
“They’re the ones that help us make the list of what they want on there,” Peveler said. “The snacks tend to go early. A lot of the things are things that they really don’t want to spend money on but they need them or they want them, like paper plates and things like that.”
Wednesday bingo has become so much more than a game for these seniors, and more of a way of life. Not only is it a time for fellowship, but the items they win fulfill a need. So when the center’s bingo machine continually stopped working or had difficulty operating properly, it was a bigger deal than some might imagine.
“Our bingo machine was, I don’t know how many years old — it was used when we got it and we had just made due,” said Executive Director Dana Peveler. “The guy that calls bingo has become the best mechanic for that machine and has fixed it time and time and time again.”
According to Robyn Mattingly, the center’s previous director, the machine was more than 15 years old and was already in used condition when they first acquired it.
Knowing that the existing machine was causing a stoppage of play and was constantly in need of repair, Joyce Sargent, a faithful Senior Center attendee took to Facebook to inform others of the need.
“I put it on Facebook that we needed one desperately,” Sargent said, adding that she had a response in 15 hours.
The response that she received was from long-time senior center supporter Cathy Campbell, who previously worked in the building for over 20 years, was on the advisory council and brought her mother, Martha Reed, to play bingo every Wednesday during the last year of her mother’s life.
“My husband and I saw Joyce post it on Facebook and thought we could probably get it,” Campbell said. “I took my mother there on Wednesdays to play bingo — she was 91. That was her life for several years — waiting for Wednesday to play bingo.”
Campbell said, between donations from the Fraternal Order of Eagles 4168 Aerie, where her husband is a charter member, and funds they had raised for charity with their cooking team at the International Bar-B-Q Festival, they were able to come up with enough funds to purchase the $1,150 machine.
“We did our research on it and where to get one, then got the quote and took it to the members, and each organization went in on half,” Campbell said. “And it all happened within a month.
It’s a great thing — I know what it means to those seniors. I’m a senior myself and it has a special place in my heart for sure.”
Sargent couldn’t have been happier with the result she and the center received from a simple Facebook post.
“We’ve needed one for a long time,” Sargent said. “It’s just wonderful that we got it. I enjoy being at the center. I like being with the center family. My family’s scattered everywhere — so this is my family away from home.”
