It was 7 p.m. and numbers were already being called.

People of all ages and backgrounds sat at banquet tables that lined the room. Their good-luck charms were proudly displayed in the same spot they had been displayed the week before. The chance to win $1,500 was in the air. It was Bingo night.

Every Monday, St. Mary Catholic Church, 302 Fisk Ave., offers over $1,400 in prize money during its weekly Bingo night. Although the event is usually a gathering for senior citizens, it may have something to offer students.

At 6 p.m., Bingo cards go on sale in the spacious yet cozy conference room of St. Mary Church. And for $5, a player can get a pack of cards to play 13 of the 19 drawings offered every evening.

By 7 p.m., the Early Bird game has started.

DeKalb resident Betty Lyle, who’s been playing Bingo for two decades, listened for numbers as she eagerly awaited her favorite games.

“I like them all, especially if I win,” Lyle said.

Each game has a pay-out of $50 to $150 to the winner. In the case of multiple winners, the money is split.

Despite the allure of fast cash, 75 percent of Bingo night players attend every week, and St. Mary Church is always looking for newcomers, said Bingo night manager Simon Seibert.

“We’ve had a pretty steady turnout over the last three years,” Seibert said, adding, “but we are always trying to convince more people to play.”

Beyond the standard Bingo game cash prizes. St. Mary Church also offers one large, progressive jackpot game that grows every time someone does not win it.

That amount has risen topped at $5,700 since Siebert took his position over six years ago, he said.

“The bigger the jackpot, the more people we have attend that night,” Seibert observed.

Though the jackpots are high, all profits of Bingo night go to St. Mary Catholic Grade School and Church, the ELKS Crippled Children’s Fund and the DeKalb VFW.

Besides fun and cash prizes, Bingo night offers a large, reasonably priced dinner brought by the volunteering parents of the children of St. Mary School.

At 9:30 p.m., everyone began to pack up. All the good-luck charms went back in their bags, and everyone went home happier.

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