Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, March 10, 1993 TAG: 9303100328
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
BINGO PROFITS PROMISED TO CHARITY
The Voice of the Blue Ridge says it will use all of its profits from bingo operations for charity, although it used only $1,000 for that purpose in the past year."We are a charity and everything that we make will be used for that purpose," said Joe Ingram, chairman of the bingo committee for the organization.
The Voice of the Blue Ridge made a profit of nearly $25,000 on its bingo operations in the past year.
Ingram said Tuesday that most of the money is being held to buy special radios for blind people so they can tune into reading services for the blind.
"All of the money will be used for radios, equipment and supplies for [the blind]. It is just a matter of timing," said Ingram.
He said the purchase had been delayed because the group was hoping to get a matching grant to buy more radios.
The Voice of the Blue Ridge is an organization that supports a radio reading service for the blind at public radio WVTF.
It was cited in a city report on bingo activities for using such a small amount of its profits for charitable purposes.
The Voice of the Blue Ridge received $492,913 in gross receipts from its bingo operations in the past year. It awarded $353,320 in prizes and spent $114,766 for expenses such as the $1,000 nightly rental fee for the bingo hall, leaving a profit of $24,826.
Ingram, a former city School Board member who is blind, said the group spent $1,000 for a radio network reading service for the blind that includes The New York Times, Wall Street Journal and other publications.
Four other non-profit organizations that have bingo operations spent a larger part of their profits for charitable purposes in the past year.
The organizations and the amount they spent for charity: Central Virginia Council of the Blind, $28,256; Knights of Columbus, $40,638; Northwest Recreation Club, $31,678; and Veterans of Foreign Wars, $23,307.
State and city laws allow only nonprofit agencies and organizations to operate bingo games. The laws require that the proceeds from bingo be used for charitable, religious, community or educational purposes.
But the laws don't specify the percentage of the bingo proceeds that must be used for charity.
City Attorney Wilburn Dibling said the city is restricted by state law and can't impose a more stringent law than the state's regulations.
Mayor David Bowers said he is concerned that such a small amount of the bingo money is being used for charity. He questioned whether the intent of the state and city laws regulating bingo games is being circumvented by some organizations.
City Council will contact the city's representatives in the General Assembly and seek their help in getting tougher bingo restrictions.
Reacting to complaints that bingo had become businesses,council enacted tough accounting regulations that required organizations to keep records covering all aspects of the operation. They must keep records of all receipts and disbursements,the dates when bingo is played,the number of people in attendance and the amount of prizes.
The rules prohibit organizations from holding bingo games more than two nights a week. All bingo halls must close by midnight.