Lions TV Bingo to start in Shelburne

Written By Paula Brown

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The Orangeville Lions Club will be hosting their first TV Bingo event of the year on Tuesday (Jan. 10), and Shelburne residents now have the chance to get in on the game.

Cards for the weekly Bingo event became available for purchase at two locations in Shelburne; Foodland and Giant Tiger as of Jan. 4. 

Speaking with the Free Press, Orangeville Lions Club President Don Sinclair said the decision to expand to Shelburne was, in part, due to community interest. 

“There were people from Shelburne asking how they can get involved,” said Sinclair. 

The Orangeville Lions Club initially began the Bingo fundraiser in 2021 as a radio event before making the switch to a televised event in October of 2022. The TV Bingo has been held on a weekly basis, every Tuesday evening, for the last three months. 

“One of our mottos is ‘We Serve' and that's exactly what TV Bingo helps us do. Not only that, but it's fun,” said Sinclair. “Often when winners are phoning in with a winning card, they're having a party with family or a group, and they're getting together. It's an enjoyable and, so far, increasingly successful enterprise.” 

According to Sinclair, the Orangeville Lions Club has seen an average of 650 cards sold for each weekly Bingo, and in December they had over 1,200 cards sold for their $5,000 prize event. 

The TV Bingo cards cost $10 for five games, with participants eligible for $3,000 in prizes. Funds raised through the TV Bingo card sales go toward supporting projects and other organizations in the community including Big Brothers Big Sisters, Headwaters Health Care Centre, Choice's Men Shelter, Lions Home for Deaf People, Lions Foundation of Canada Guide Dogs, Alzheimer's Society, Habitat for Humanity, and Community Living Dufferin. 

While most recently expanding to include the Shelburne community, the Orangeville Lions Club TV Bingo has also expanded the fundraiser to other surrounding communities including Bolton, Erin, Hillsburgh, and Grand Valley. 

“We're hoping to provide funding to organizations that serve all of Dufferin County,” said Sinclair. 

The Orangeville Lions will be wrapping up the TV Bingo in May and will start the event up again in September. 

“Have some fun, buy tickets, get together with others and just enjoy that hour on a Tuesday evening,” said Sinclair. 

The Orangeville Lions Club TV Bingo can be viewed on Rogers Cable 63 or online at rogerstv.com/dufferin-caledon