Putting the ‘fun’ in fundraisers
Pizza Barn bingo turns Tuesday nights into community fundraisers
Tuesday nights at the Pizza Barn have taken on a new purpose as bingo brings people together while raising money for nonprofit organizations, school groups and community causes.
The weekly Bingo Nights are the idea of Pizza Barn owner Pam Gualtieri, who said the project began with her own love of the game, then grew into an opportunity to help organizations that need another way to raise money.
“When I got the Pizza Barn back, I was, like, ‘Oh, I need to do a
bingo night at the Pizza Barn,’” Gualtieri said.
There was a problem, however. Gualtieri discovered the Pizza Barn itself could not conduct the bingo as a fundraiser because it is not a nonprofit organization.
That led her to research Wyoming’s requirements and find a way to structure the nights so the proceeds could benefit eligible organizations.
“I had to make sure that we were doing these for nonprofit individuals or groups,” Gualtieri said.
The result has been a series of Tuesday-night fundraisers for school sports and clubs, youth groups and other nonprofit organizations.
The Pizza Barn has already hosted fundraisers for the Moorcroft Food Bank, the BREAD office, youth
organizations and an animal rescue group.
Gualtieri said she hopes to continue expanding the program and make Bingo Night a regular Tuesday event throughout the year.
“If they have a 501(c)(3) or nonprofit or they have a good cause that’s not a 501(c)(3), get in touch with me and we can get a date set up for them,” she said.
Gualtieri said scheduling is part of the challenge. Tuesday was selected because other nights of the week tend to be crowded with community activities, including City Council meetings, youth groups, sporting events and church activities.
The goal is to choose dates that give the participating organization the best chance to draw a crowd and raise money.
“We try to make sure we’re being smart, and so we can get the best for that nonprofit group,” Gualtieri said.
Tyler Mills, who serves as the regular bingo caller, said he has been around bingo for much of his life. He recalled attending bingo at the VFW in Newcastle with his mother when he was young.
“I’ve been doing bingo in the community of Newcastle since I was knee-high to a grasshopper,” Mills said.
Mills now volunteers his time Tuesday nights to call the numbers, operate the bingo program and help keep the games moving. He said the technical side of the operation came together after the group looked at different ways to display the bingo cards and patterns on televisions around the restaurant.
The technology has also allowed the games to become more personalized.
Mills creates bingo patterns that correspond with the organization holding the fundraiser. Sports groups may get a pattern representing their team, while other organizations have received patterns shaped like a cat, a stingray or food.
“If the organization wants a certain pattern they want to do, great, we’ll do that,” Mills said. “If not, we try and come up with something that symbolizes their organization.”
That creativity is part of what makes the evenings more than simply a traditional bingo game.
Mills said he also enjoys interacting with the children and families who attend. One of his favorite parts is watching someone who rarely plays bingo finally get a winning card.
“It’s that, that puts the biggest smile on my face right there — watching people win,” Mills said.
The fundraisers have drawn varying crowds, depending in part on the organization and the timing. One of the biggest was a fundraiser for an animal rescue, which Mills said filled the restaurant and required additional tables to accommodate the crowd.
Other fundraisers have been smaller, but Mills said the organizations have still made money. He said many of the groups have expressed interest in returning for another Bingo Night.
The community’s willingness to give back has also helped make the fundraisers successful.
Mills said some winners take enough of their winnings to cover what they spent for the evening and then donate the remainder back to the organization. At some fundraisers, he said, people have donated their entire winnings.
Gualtieri said she enjoys participating in the games herself and often gives her winnings back to the organization.
“I always donate back, but don’t tell them,” she joked.
The Pizza Barn also relies on volunteers to make the evenings work. Mills; his mother, Tanya Mills; Myrna Garhart and others have helped with the operation, while additional family members and volunteers pitch in when needed.
Mills credited Gualtieri with bringing the idea forward and the group with helping turn it into a workable community fundraiser.
Gualtieri said the invitation is open to organizations looking for a way to raise money.
The fundraisers may not make an organization thousands of dollars in one night, but she said even a few hundred dollars can make a difference.
And, just as importantly, the nights give people a reason to come together and have some fun.