Long-running bingo event comes to a close in N.B. community

For the past 31 years, George Hayward has spent his Wednesday evenings hosting bingo at the Kiwanis Club of Hillsborough, N.B., but this week will be his last time.

Hayward's health and dwindling attendance numbers are the reason why Wednesday night bingo is shutting down.

"It's fun and the ones that come to bingo – we ain't got very many now – but the ones that come, we have fun with them. It's a fun night out," said Hayward.

The club has been averaging under 20 players for quite some time now.

They need 25 or more to make it viable; 40 would be a good night.

Hayward said it was common to have more than 100 people in the hall in the 1990s.

"We just can't keep it going. It's not making money," said Hayward.

Club president Barry Russell said bingo has helped keep the building open and able to host wedding receptions, banquets and youth activities.

"Anything with children, Kiwanis is involved," said Russell.

Both Hayward and Russell estimate bingo nights have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars since it began in 1993.

"We will miss bingo income for sure," said Russell. "It's just one more thing that the community is involved in. One more thing to do in the community. You can always go to town, but here it stays in the community."

Albert Claridge works at bingo at the Kiwanis Club of Hillsborough, N.B. (Source: Derek Haggett/CTV News Atlantic)

Hayward runs the bingo with the help of a handful of volunteers, close friends he's worked with for years.

Up until her death a few years ago, Hayward and his wife Linda ran bingo night together.

"We'd come home from work and we'd stop here right after work. Set up for bingo and stay right here, do bingo and then go home," said Hayward.

His daughter Terri Dixon has been helping out for years and recently has taken over her mother's role.

"It's kind of sad, it's bittersweet," said Dixon about the final night. "Looking back over the last six-to-eight months I know that dad needs a break."

Bingo night at the Kiwanis Club of Hillsborough, N.B., ended on Aug. 28, 2024. (Source: Derek Haggett/CTV News Atlantic)

Dixon is hopeful someone will be able to step in right away and keep bingo night going, or perhaps start another fundraiser like a chase the ace event.

Fundy-Albert Mayor Robert Rochon said the Kiwanis Club of Hillsborough has been an integral part of the community since 1946.

"Anytime you lose any type of service in the community, it is a blow," said Rochon. "But I'm sure that the volunteers that work with the Kiwanis, they will find alternate ways of fundraising to continue to do the good work they do in the community."

Rochon said one of the reasons why attendance has declined over the years is because people tend to go where the jackpots are a little bigger.

"That kind of makes sense," said Rochon. "The unfortunate part about it is that we that end up losing something that is of important to a few select people in the community."

Bingo supplies at the Kiwanis Club of Hillsborough, N.B. (Source: Derek Haggett/CTV News Atlantic)

The 77-year-old Hayward does have his health to worry about and while he's sad to let bingo go, he knows it's time.

"I've done it long enough. I want to get out of it. Hopefully we can find someone to take it over and start it back up again, but it's going to be shut down for a little while," said Hayward. "We had a good run." 

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