Bingo Association states their case for $25,000 M.D. grant after denial last year

Susan Turner, bookkeeper Bonnyville Bingo Association, during her delegation to M.D. of Bonnyville council on Wednesday. 

The Bonnyville Bingo Association is hoping the M.D. of Bonnyville can help them financially after denying their request last year.

Susan Turner, the bookkeeper for the Bingo Association, presented to M.D. council on Wednesday to clear up confusion on why their community action grant application could’ve been denied last summer and what the association is looking to use the $25,000 for.

The Town of Bonnyville guaranteed a $140,000 loan to the non-profit to cover renovation costs while the Bingo Association moved to their new location in the industrial area of Bonnyville behind Tercier Motors, where they opened in September.

Turner said the work went over budget by roughly $22,000.

That cost, plus paying back the loan, is eating away at the profits community groups can take home from volunteering at the bingos.

“We are in dire straits through no fault of our own…contractors went over our estimates and it’s out of control. We really need your help,” said Turner.

The M.D.’s community action grant is for non-profit organizations.

In the grant’s policy, its to support capital projects for eligible organizations where events are aimed at renovating, retrofitting or upgrading a facility’s current infrastructure, which Turner believes allows the Bingo Association to qualify.

Plus, if bingo falls by the wayside, the Town and M.D. could be seeing more funding requests from the town from those community groups, she said.

“I believe we fit into the criteria of that $25,000 community action grant.

“My fear is if we don’t – we still have those contractor outstandings bills, of course, we’ve had put up off other bills and pay a little bit at a time – the clubs aren’t going to get another profit cheque for the next months, they’re probably going to throw their arms in the air and say what are we working bingo for?”

The M.D. accepted the delegation and will decide what to do in the coming meetings.