Volunteers call bingo on a machine donated in part by a Gate City Bank donation at Luther Memorial Home in Mayville, ND.

Mayville Seniors Win Big With Bingo Machine Donation.

MAYVILLE, ND – When Gate City Bank team members learned that the American Legion was trying to replace the bingo machine at Luther Memorial Home, they jumped in to help make it happen.

For the residents of Luther Memorial Home in Mayville, bingo is more than a game.

Decked out in a pink sweatshirt proclaiming her the “Bingo Queen,” Karen Goetz listened closely as the bingo balls were called.

“I often win,” Karen noted with a grin. “Mostly it’s money and candy.”

Chris Larson, a Luther Memorial resident who was helping American Legion member Keith Williams call bingo, used to call bingo as a volunteer at a nursing home in Grafton, ND, where he grew up.

“I loved it back then,” remarked Larson, who also serves as the home’s council president. “I didn't think 30 years later that I'd still love calling bingo, but it is fun. It really brings out a competitive side of the residents, something that I just love to see. When they get a bingo, raising their hands in the air, hooting and hollering, that’s my favorite part. Also, in a facility like ours, it's nice to see the residents involved.”

Keeping Fun and Purpose in the Cards.

Being involved and having something to look forward to also gives the Luther Memorial residents a sense of purpose.

“Bingo is extremely important to the people we support,” explained Trisha Hickey, Luther Memorial Home Activities Director. “When you move into a nursing home, a lot of people think that they're going to lose their skills or they're just coming here to retire from life. When we have games like bingo, it helps people keep their cognition intact, it helps with their dexterity, and it helps keep them social.”

Bingo is one of the home’s more popular events, and it typically draws a fairly large crowd, but the machine Luther Memorial was using – estimated to have been built in the 1940s – was making the game difficult. The balls would stick, sometimes it would shoot out three at a time and they’d go flying, and it was so loud it would interfere with the residents’ hearing aids.

Supporting Local Seniors – Together.

That’s when the community stepped in. Williams researched options for a new machine and told Luther Memorial that he wanted to help get donations to cover the cost. He rallied the American Legion, VFW and several community members to help. Gate City Bank’s Mayville location had $500 to donate somewhere in the community, so when team members learned about the effort, they readily joined the cause.

Colorful balls bounce around a new bingo machine Gate City Bank helped fund at Luther Memorial Home in Mayville, ND.

“Community means being involved, giving your time, getting to truly know people,” said Minda Strand, Gate City Bank Personal Banking Supervisor. “I feel very fortunate to work for a company that wants to give back to the community.”

“The people in the nursing home have given us so much,” added Sonya Sherva, Gate City Bank Senior Customer Service Representative Lead. “They built this community. Once people go into a nursing home, sometimes they think it’s the end. It’s very important to have projects for them to do, to get to go to bingo, to have some normalcy.”

The granddaughter of avid bingo players, Sherva knows how important bingo can be.

“I remember getting a call at two in the morning when I was little and being told that my grandma had won a car at bingo,” she exclaimed.

A group photo of American Legion members and Gate City Bank team members, who helped fund a new bingo machine at Luther Memorial Home in Mayville, ND.

Taking Extra Care, Today and Tomorrow.

Now the Luther Memorial residents and staff can look forward to bingo for many years to come.

“It means so much to the residents, activities department and nursing home as a whole,” Larson commented. “The kinds of investments being made by Gate City Bank and other organizations are truly enriching the residents’ lives.”

“It's a fabulous thing when we can get donations and people that want to help us be more successful,” Hickey added. “People really take care of each other around here.”