No-shows at Fort Erie bingo could cost mental health charity $36K
November 14, 2026 at 3:42 AM
The Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) raised $36,056 for its Niagara branch through Fort Erie’s Golden Nugget in the past year but says it risks losing that fundraising if too few volunteers show up.
Less bingo money means less one-to-one counselling for Fort Erie and Niagara residents who need mental health and addiction support.
“When a scheduled volunteer shift is not fulfilled, it is recorded as an infraction,” CMHA Niagara coordinator Jenn Myers told Fort Erie Radio. “After two infractions, CMHA Niagara is at risk of losing its allocated shifts.”
Every $30 CMHA Niagara raises pays for 30 minutes of telephone counselling for one person, so last year’s $36,056 from Fort Erie bingo would pay for about 1,200 of those calls.
Volunteers at Golden Nugget Gaming Centre on Garrison Road must be at least 18 because the hall admits no one younger, according to CMHA Niagara’s website.
Recruitment “has not been overly challenging,” Myers said, but CMHA Niagara is continually signing up people for its bingo roster.
CMHA Niagara needs volunteers for two Fort Erie shifts every Wednesday, one at 4 p.m. and one at 6 p.m.
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About the Author
Andrew Hawlitzky
Andrew is a Niagara community journalist who has covered everything from local politics to annual festivals and breaking news. He works to make local news a platform where community voices lead the conversation. "If you don't like the news, go out and make some!"
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