Mid-County Senior Center Bingo, By Teresa Hidalgo Dance

COMMUNITY NEWS

Mid-County Senior Center Bingo

By Teresa Hidalgo Dance

Who has never played bingo? If you’re a senior, you most likely already have. To us, bingo is more than a game though the possibility of winning a prize is one of its draws.

“Bingo gets seniors out of their home for a happy reason, not another medical appointment,” said 82-year old Karen. “It’s a time to smile and forget your problems.”

The members of the Mid-County Senior Center in Capitola are your typical happy bingo-playing set. Though not exactly like the gambling crowds of Las Vegas or on cruise ships, the bingo players at Mid-County Senior Center enjoy all the bells and whistles that liven up a game that doesn’t require skill, only plenty of luck.

On the day I came to play, long-time bingo aficionado Bill was carrying what looked like a small version of a medical bag, the kind toted by doctors on house calls during the horse-and-buggy era.

On the sloping sides of Bill’s black bag were six pouches, each containing a colored dauber. They are akin to envelope-moisteners with a porous top through which dyed liquid seeps out to mark the numbers on one’s card.

Daubers were available at the receptionist’s table but most of the forty or so seniors at the bingo game that day had their own. What I found remarkable about the wet and sloppy daubers was that the colored liquid did not seep through the thin game card onto the face of the card underneath.

Also inside Bill’s bingo bag was a small noise-making machine that he says he will use if he ever wins. The pocket-size pink contraption had buttons that you tap on to make the sounds of drums, whistles, entire orchestras, and even passing gas.

During the course of the two-hour session, winners around the room used their noise machines to play a variety of sounds from an airplane taking off to a disconsolate fog horn. But a fancy noise machine was not necessary to have fun. Some simply used New Year’s Eve noisemakers. And whenever the number “22” was called, everyone tooted the number two like a choo-choo train.

“I came here not to win but to be entertained,” said one bingo denizen. This carefree attitude brings out the playful spirit of the seniors. Bill, for example, wouldn’t give me his name. Everytime I asked his name, he gave me a different one — Rudolph or Jose Jimenez. I finally found out his name when others called out to him.

The absence of competition encourages camaraderie among the players. “Senior bingo is slow and people help each other,” said Karen. “If you hit bingo, others are happy for you.” Even the words of those who didn’t hit bingo are said good-naturedly:

“They didn’t give us a chance.”

Nancy Predelli and Vicky Howell mark their cards during Bingo at Mid-County Senior Center.

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Or “I must have picked the wrong card.”

When I entered the bingo hall, volunteers knew right away I was a newbie and led me to Susan, an old-timer who has been coming to the bingo games for the past 10 years. She immediately took me under her wing. She was a serious player, having bought the initial pack of cards for $10 and a second one for $8, both to be played simultaneously. She patiently showed me the different bingo combinations such as the “wild number,” “picture frame,” “9-pack,” or “6-pack.”

Susan never thought she’d enjoy bingo so much. Playing bingo with her father at the senior center was more of a duty for her until they stopped going after he showed signs of Alzheimer’s. Susan found herself missing the game and the first chance she could, she returned to the bingo hall. She’s been coming ever since.

The woman who called out the numbers at the bingo game sounded as good as any professional bingo caller in Las Vegas. Her crisp syllables and authoritative tone, stating with finality, “We have bingo,” or “That game is closed” seemed in deference to those who took the game seriously, despite the fun culture around it.

Food was also another draw for the games at MidCounty Senior Center. Hotdog in a bun is a staple along with chips, soda, and coffee. The day I played, the kitchen also served chili con carne. It only cost a dollar. Every food item, but the two dollar hotdogs, only cost a dollar! At my seat, I had further treats. Someone had laid out salty pretzels on a paper towel in the middle of the table and I helped myself generously to them.

“Bingo is a party that welcomes you without an invitation,” Karen observed. “Tuesday afternoons (when the games are held 1-3 p.m.) become special.”

“I can see how happy it makes the seniors, whether new to the game or not,” she added, “When you leave, you say, ‘Ok, see you next week.’” n

The Mid-County Senior Center is located at 829 Bay Ave., Capitola, behind the Woodworm Party store. It’s open to the public and to play bingo, participants must be at least 18 years of age.