Bingo World closure affects local fundraising efforts

The COVID-19 pandemic is depriving local bingo enthusiasts of their favorite game — and keeping two local not-for-profit organizations 6 feet away from their fundraising goals.

According to its website, Bingo World is a “charitable gambling operation,” supporting Notre Dame Regional High School and the area’s Optimist International clubs by providing a venue for their bingo night fundraisers. On March 16, these organizations announced the suspension of their regularly scheduled games to limit large gatherings amidst coronavirus concerns.

Because there is not a way to resume games while honoring social-distancing guidelines, the closure will continue through June. Currently, regularly scheduled games are set to return no later than Sept 2. Until then, the organizations will reevaluate risk levels on a monthly basis to determine whether Bingo World can safely re-open at an earlier date.

Mary Kirn, chairwoman of Optimist Club Bingo, said both Cape Girardeau and Jackson have Noon and Evening Optimists clubs, and each of the four clubs will be hurt by the continued closure. She said it will especially impact her club, the Jackson Noon Optimists, which relies entirely on bingo to raise funds for its charitable donations.

As stated on the Optimist International website, the Optimist Clubs’ goal is to provide hope and positive vision to young people in the community. They use the tens of thousands of dollars bingo generates annually to provide scholarships, organize sports teams for young boys and girls, and support organizations such as the Food Pantry and the School Backpack program.

While Kirn said she believes the Jackson Noon Optimists will be able to continue contributing to the programs they are presently committed to, their donations will come from reserve funds and must temporarily decrease. If the suspension continues in the coming months, the revenue shortfall will “really affect what the Optimist Club is able to do for the youth in the community,” she said.

According to Alex Jackson, Notre Dame’s director of development and chairman of Notre Dame Regional High School Bingo, the games are one of the school’s largest community fundraising events, helping to offset its operating expenses and tuition costs. He said bingo typically raises more than $100,000 annually, but the closure has put that goal in jeopardy this year.

“Losing a month of fundraising revenue can have an impact,” Jackson said, “but four to six months of lost revenue is really going to hurt.”

The longer Bingo World remains closed, the more likely the school will need to consider other ways to meet its needs, such as a new fundraising event or an appeal to Notre Dame alumni, parents and friends for donations, he said.

Despite these concerns, both Jackson Noon Optimists and Notre Dame remain hopeful about the future, and are using this time to make changes that will enhance the experiences of players upon Bingo World’s reopening.

“We are excited to announce that Notre Dame Regional High School and the Optimist Clubs are collaborating on the upgrade of the Bingo console to the Black Hawk Combo Console and Flat Screen TV, and will be upgrading all our electronic gaming devices,” Jackson said.

With these improvements and the joint marketing efforts of the organizations’ bingo programs, Jackson said he expects bingo will become an even more effective fundraiser in the future. He said he believes that if bingo resumes by Sept. 2, as planned, the projected increases in revenue will help to compensate for losses and remain at revenue levels similar to those of past years.