The popular radio bingo in aid of the Fort Frances Girls and Women’s hockey association is gearing up for another year starting on Monday Oct. 28.
“We started back in the 2015-16 season with our first bingo,” said organizer Craig Miller. “Up to that point we had just kind of been doing some moderate fundraisers, like selling chocolate bars and doing meat draws. They were very effort intensive and while they did generate some funds it was kind of a trade off of labour versus the amount you’re able to fundraise.”
The bingo was inspired by Lake of the Woods Girls Hockey in Kenora.
“So Kenora girls hockey was doing this radio bingo program,” Miller said. “It was actually my wife who had reached out to them, Nicole, and then they gave us some information, and then I followed up on it. We contacted the radio station, and it’s the sister radio station to The Lake in Kenora, and they were eager and ready to go.”
Even starting out was a risky venture Miller says.
“We set it up, and it was super, super risky, that first bingo. We were, as an association, very tight for money, and we actually did not even have the funds in our bank account to cover the winnings of the first radio bingo,” Miller said. “We had to collect the sales revenue from that very first night in order to cover the prizes. Since then it’s grown. It’s been embraced by the community throughout the Rainy River District, yeah, and it’s been a wildly successful program for us.”
The funds raised through the bingo go to subsidize the programming of the Association.
“The first thing that we use the bingo proceeds for, is to keep our registration fees very low,” Miller said. “It goes directly to impact families. We pay tournament entry fees for families so that once they pay the registration for hockey we try to minimize what families are out of pocket for.”
One of the most important aspects of the bingo funding is a post-secondary bursary.
“The real prize in terms of girls hockey, is that for the girls who have been part of our program for several years, they’re eligible to apply for a bursary to help them out with their studies in university or college after they’re done with high school,” Miller said.
In a statement to the Times for another story, FFGWHA president Aimee Matheson said that the league has experienced unprecedented registration numbers this year. Bingo funds go to helping keep girls and women in sport.
The association is also putting together an 18+ BB Women’s team this year, which they hope will compete in a few different tournaments and games with two ice times per month over the course of the season before going to the Ontario Women’s Hockey Association Provincials in April. Those interested in the 18+ team should check out the FFGWHA Facebook page for more information.
The first bingo of the year is a Monster Bingo with a $5,000 overall prize purse over three games. Buy your cards and tune in to 93.1 FM.
Bingo cards are available across the Rainy River District at various vendors: Bear’s Place in Seine River FN, The Great Bear, CC Complex, Rainy Lake Sports & Tackle, Ski’s Variety, The Place Fine Foods, Taggs Source For Sports, Good Impressions Printing, Cloverleaf Family Foods, Woods Quality Bakery, and Zig’s Place in Morson.
