Bingo is a winner for seniors

"B-13. I-18. G-46." These were among the numbers called by Bill Sparks at the Yuba County Senior Center on Tuesday morning during one of the semiweekly bingo games.

Sparks sat in the front corner of the room calling numbers into a microphone as the balls came out of the new electronic box.

The box is one of the new additions to the senior center, located on 14th Street in Marysville, along with two electronic bingo boards, that are meant to improve the game and attract more people. This new equipment was purchased from the El Dorado Fairgrounds.

"It's in great shape," Sparks said of the bingo supplies. "It's quite a difference, all the bulbs light up and we've got 100 of them in there."

Some of the biggest changes the bingo equipment offers is a timer to release the next number which allows him to control the game and the ability to chose the type of game played, indicating whether it will take one line on the card or an 'x' to win, Sparks said.

"If I'm going too fast, I change the speed the numbers come out," he said.

Sparks, who has been calling bingo numbers for 14 years, said many of the participants like the new boards because they are bigger and brighter.

"N-35."

Russ Brown, Yuba County spokesman, said the county allocated $5,000 in fiscal year 2007-08 to buy the bingo machine and computers to allow for classes to teach seniors how to use the Internet.

"It's a worthy cause," Brown said. "They are trying to do a lot of things to that facility."

"O-70."

Bingo is among many new programs, which also include T'ai Chi Chih classes and after-lunch card games, which are growing in attendance at the center.

Chuck Carver, a member of the Yuba County Commission on Aging, said it's taken some time, but more and more seniors are using the facility.

"When we started four years ago, there was nothing here," he said. "Now when you look at it, it's beautiful."

Attendance for the matching game has grown over the past year from roughly three participants to as many as 30. Tuesday, 16 seniors were at the center to play.

Irene Andrews, 79, said she's been coming to play for the last year because she likes the game.

"When we started playing, the pay out was only 75 cents," she said. "I think I won $7 for one prize today."

The cost to play is 5 cents per card, per game or six cards for 25 cents.

"I-20."

Tuesday morning, Andrews sat with nine cards in front of her. As Sparks called out numbers, Andrews's eyes and arms traced each of the cards in search it. If she spotted a square with the matching number, she slid a red transparent slide over it in hopes of getting closer to claiming the prize.

"It gets tough when you have a lot of to keep track," she said.

After nearly 20 minutes of numbers called in the last round, Andrews was nearing completion on a few cards.

"B-10."

"BINGO," Ginger Washburn yelled from a table two rows behind Andrews.

"I just love to play," Andrews said with a sigh after the Washburn claimed the prize.

Washburn, 49, walked away with the grand-prize - a gift certificate to Taco Bell - but said the social aspect of the game is more of a reward.

"I enjoy the people and the company," she said. "And I like to play."

Contact Appeal-Democrat reporter Andrea Koskey at 749-4709 or akoskey@appealdemocrat.com