Bandera legion folks speak bingo lingo

Every Wednesday evening at the Bandera American Legion Post 157 things take on a little Las Vegas feel.

Seniors searching for an excuse to get out of the house show up early and hope to get the same lucky seat for them and their bingo buddies.

Surprisingly, most of the bingo players at the post said winning money is not the most important reason for being there.

It’s all about fun competition, who can scan the bingo sheets the fastest for winning numbers and yelling “bingo” loud enough to be heard and win.

“A lot of the ladies here at bingo are very soft spoken, and I tell everyone at the start of the games to shout ‘bingo’ loud,” said game caller James Tuscana.

He is sort of like a school bus driver who has to watch the road and the loud passengers for several hours.

“I do the calling for 10 games from 7-10 p.m. By law we can’t go more than 10 hours so I have to move things along to get that done,” said Tuscana, who has called at Post 157 for about seven or eight years.

“I come to bingo to get out of the house and be with friends,”said Donna O’Neal.

O’Neal said over the years she has helped friends learn about bingo and its many benefits, such as building fellowship and keeping senior minds working.

“Sometimes, you don’t get great results, and sometimes you have a really good night playing, but you win by just being with your friends and family,” O’Neal said.

Donald Barnett is a longtime bingo player who moved to Bandera from Kerrville 16 years ago and has been a bingo fan for 30 years.

“I have played bingo with lots of men and women, and everyone knows everyone, and it’s like one big family,” said Barnett, who lives between Pipe Creek and Bandera.

Karen Kehs from Tarpley said she plays bingo three days a week in Bandera and two other locations.

“I go with friends, some are hardcore players, and we have a lot of fun,” she said.

As with fundraising for most nonprofits in 2020, the suspension of bingo games at the Bandera American Legion Post 157 put about a $5,000 dent in money for operating expenses and charitable programs, according to Post Commander Susan Junker.

Junker shared that legion bingo closed for six months from April to September last year, then another three months at the beginning of 2021 in accordance with CDC guidelines.

Bingo Chairman Dennis Birchall shared that the legion was able to assist other nonprofits when bingo wasn’t running.

“Bingo restarted and has been growing ever since the March 10 effective date of Gov. Abbott’s all businesses of any type may open at 100 percent capacity,’” said Junker.

In the past three months, the Legion used bingo proceeds to donate $300 each to the newly formed American Legion Riders program and to the Hill Country Honor Guard.

Bingo takes place at the Bandera American Legion Post 157, located at 205 12th Street, every Wednesday night from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. For more information, call 830-535-4511