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 April 2008 Back to Table of Contents Back to Archives Main Page Section: Bingo Buzz Serious Bingo at St. Aloysius By Meg Walker When asked what happens on bingo night at St. Aloysius Gonzaga in Cheektowaga, organizer Bob Hanclian has a simple response: “Crazy people and bingo — that’s what goes on!” As the organizer of the bingo night at St. Aloysius for 15 years, Hanclian has seen his fair share of devoted players over the years. “These people do it for a living,” says Hanclian. “They take their bingo pretty seriously. A lot of them are at a different bingo hall every night.” The St. Aloysius crowd is made up of a dominant older generation, with about 25 percent of the players coming from a younger crowd. This younger group is normally comprised of children joining their grandparents for a night, or a family on a night out together. Of course, every bingo hall holds a group of regulars that come week-in and week-out, and St. Aloysius is no different. St. Aloysius is known for running bingo specials. For $20, a player gets 15 boards for every game, and an extra six boards for the special games. For $30, players receive 21 boards for each game, and an extra 15 boards for the special games. The specials include a dinner of pizza and a homemade dessert. “Desserts are always the first thing to go,” says Hanclian. In Hanclian’s 15 years of putting together bingo nights at St. Aloysius, he estimates to have given away some $2 million in prizes. Recently, he would estimate an award of a minimum of $2,400 each week, but has shelled out upwards of $6,500 in a single night. And even though the bingo crowds don’t amount to what they used to, St. Aloysius still hosts an average of about 180 people a week. “We don’t know where [the crowds] are going,” Hanclian says. “Maybe other halls, or casinos. That in itself is a little depressing.” But it hasn’t got him down. St. Aloysius is still one of the area’s top bingo choices, and that doesn’t look to change. “It’s fun. Players have their own little quirks, and you grow to know them over the years,” Hanclian says. “You start to miss them when they’re not there.” St. Aloysius Gonzaga is located at 157 Cleveland Drive in Cheektwaga. Bingo night is on Thursdays and begins promptly at 7:30 p.m. For more information, call the rectory at 833-1715 or the bingo hall at 836-4617. Meg Walker is an editorial intern at Buffalo Spree and Forever Young, and a journalism major at Canisius College. back to top back to table of contents Current Issue | About Forever Young | Where to Find | Advertise | Our Advertisers | Community Calendar | Contest | Clubs | Contact Us | Archives | Home |