Every time a player calls out “Bingo!” at Delta Bingo and Gaming Sudbury, local charities win big.
That’s the message Christina Nupponen is delivering across the community. As Charity Coordinator for Delta Bingo and Gaming in Sudbury and Val Caron, she works behind the scenes to help deliver consistent funding to more than 160 registered charities across Greater Sudbury.
“Our main mission is really to support local charities by providing them with sustainable sources of funding,” Nupponen said. “Through their partnership with Delta, we’ve helped hundreds of nonprofit organizations continue to do their work in the community through this reliable sort of fundraising opportunity.”
Last year alone, $3.5 million was raised for Sudbury-based charities through the charitable gaming program, with another $1.39 million going to groups in Val Caron. From breakfast programs to senior supports, the money is directed to vital community needs — and that’s part of the reason Nupponen calls it “gaming with a cause.”
“It’s a system that allows the community members to give back just by showing up and having fun,” she said. “A portion of the revenue that they spend in the centre goes directly to local charities.”
“It’s entertainment with a purpose, and every game helps give back to services like food banks and after school programs.”
That mission is visible in the local school system. Jean Hanson Public School, for example, was able to use charitable gaming funds to cover transportation costs for a winter trip to the indoor soccer dome — something that would have been a far reach due to accessibility needs and schools’ limited budgets.
“They have a lot of kids with disabilities who require specialty buses that can accommodate wheelchairs,” she said. “Funding from charitable gaming helps the school pay for that, and then everybody can go and enjoy the day.”
Dozens of schools from both English and French boards participate in the program, including Lansdowne, Westmount, Collège Notre-Dame, and Marymount. The list of groups also includes the Art Gallery of Sudbury, YES Theatre, Better Beginnings Better Futures, the Alzheimer Society, Sudbury Food Bank and community service clubs such as the Kinsmen, Knights of Columbus, and Lions Club.
“Some of the schools struggle with purchasing items for their breakfast programs, like fridges and freezers,” she said. “I can get them in touch with the Knights of Columbus or the Lions Club… it’s a very big network of all these charities coming together and working together.”
One of the longest-participating groups is Childhood Enfance, which has been fundraising at Delta Bingo for over 20 years. The organization supports nutrition programs at 52 schools across Greater Sudbury, offering healthy snacks, breakfast, and lunch options for students.
“They don’t have to focus on just breakfast. They can do snack and lunch,” Nupponen said. “This is a yearly thing. It’s just a really great program for providing that support for schools to ensure that every child has a meal.”
Unlike traditional fundraisers or one-time donations, charitable gaming offers groups a consistent income stream. The groups submit a budget request, receive a schedule of volunteer shifts at the gaming centre, and know roughly how much funding they’ll receive.
“It’s not just a one-off,” she said. “It’s ongoing support tied directly to community participation.”
That participation is regulated through a partnership model involving the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG), the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), local municipalities, the Ontario Charitable Gaming Association (OCGA), and of course Delta Bingo & Gaming.
In Greater Sudbury, charities apply to the Charitable Gaming Association of Sudbury or Valley East before receiving municipal and provincial approvals.
Nupponen coordinates it all, acting as a point of contact between the organizations and regulators to ensure their compliance and full transparency.
“We try really hard to show that the centre’s not just about gambling, but it’s about giving back,” she said. “So if people want to have a fun night out at bingo, a portion of that money that they spend is going directly back to charities.”
And for Nupponen, the realization that Delta’s games are helping charitable groups — and the community — thrive is what makes her work so rewarding.
“You could go bowling or out for dinner, but when you come here, you’re giving back,” she said. “It changes how people see it once they understand that.”
This article was written and originally posted by Sudbury.com. Read the article.
