BINGO

Here's a quick ‘Bingo 101’ to explain exactly what this whole Bingo thing is about and how it works.

I’m a busy person. Give me a quick outline.


We fundraise to help cover the cost of running the club. Our main fundraiser is bingo, so we need swim parents (that’s you) to help by working at bingo sessions. 

People still play bingo?


Indeed they do. Bingo is an extremely important part of our fundraising. Under provincial gaming laws, bingo sessions must involve a charitable organization. There is only one bingo hall in the area and competition among area clubs for a piece of the pie is fierce. For each session we work (~2 per month), we get a portion of the proceeds, so more bingo sessions means more money for the club. Overall, our bingo work earns several thousand dollars each year and every dollar we collect through fundraising is a dollar we don't have to charge in fees.

So what do I do?

The work is very agreeable. No smokey building, no handling money we’re simply there to make sure that the Bingo environment is neat and tidy, ‘Jackpot Time’ staff takes care of the rest. It's all pretty easy. Really. Absolutely nothing to be nervous about. The work is straightforward and it’s a great way to meet other parents. It is mandatory to complete the online training which can be found here Volunteer – St Thomas Gaming Association. Once the online portion is completed (approximately 30mins) you are required to attend a shadowing session with a trained volunteer. This shadowing session must be completed within 60 days of your online training so please do not complete the online training until you are scheduled to work a bingo session with a trained volunteer  Please contact the Fundraising Coordinator to schedule the training. 

How long does it take?

Each session is only 2 hours long.  

When does this all happen?

Assigned session times vary from month to month and we can be asked to work a session anytime they are open 7 days a week. However there is a lot of flexibility since we only need to have 2 people scheduled there shouldn't be any issue getting the sessions covered. In absolute worst case scenarios it may be possible to switch a session with another club or organization if we are unable to find coverage for our assigned session. The most important part is to be reliable and show up for your committed session on time.

Do I have to do this?

Each family is asked to work 1 Bingo session throughout the year (Sept. to August) but we will need many families to work a couple sessions since there are many Bingo sessions in a year.

At registration we collect 1 fundraising payment for $150.  Once a family completes the training and works a Bingo session, their account will be credited with $150 (equal to the sum collected at the start of the year). We're hoping that the added incentive to earn your money back, as well as help the team, will be enough to get all families involved. 

Is there a Dress Code @ Bingo?

Yes, the St.Thomas Jumbo Jets have purchased (4) Vests of (various sizes) that are to be worn while working at Jackpot city. In addition to the vest, we will have buttons made up with your name on it that needs to be pinned to the vest.  Since many of us are familiar with the dress code for officiating (White collared shirt, Black pants) we decided that we’ll use this since we already have those clothes. All details are thoroughly explained in the ‘training seminar’.  Failure to dress properly can lead to fines, up to and including losing our spot with ‘Jackpot Time’ so please be sure to dress appropriately.

Can I ‘sign up’ and just ‘show up’ for my shift or do I need training first?

Before anyone can work a session at Jackpot Time they must complete the online training before their scheduled session. They must also be scheduled with a trained volunteer for their first shift in order to shadow them and complete their training. Please see the following link for online training Volunteer – St Thomas Gaming Association

How can we sign up for Bingo sessions??

We will use Team Unify just like we do for all of our meets. 

What if something comes up last minute and I can't make it to my shift. 

Please do your best to honour your commitments. However, we realize life happens. If for some reason you can’t make your shift PLEASE use the group chat to let the Fundraising Coordinator know and to try to find someone to cover your shift as soon as possible! We cannot miss our shifts!!  We’ll try and figure out an alternative. 

Where do we go?

‘Jackpot Time’ - 140 Edward Street, St. Thomas, ON,  N5P 1Z3 

Who runs everything?

The St. Thomas Jumbo Jets Fundraising Coordinator works in conjunction with Sean Ross (Charity Coordinator St.Thomas Gaming Association) to set up Bingo sessions for the team.

I have more questions!



We're happy to answer them. Drop us a line at [email protected]. Or feel free to corner any of us at the pool or wherever.