Former state liquor store now site of a new state-of-the-art Bingo hall

QUEUEING UP FOR CASH: Bingo enthusiasts line up to get their cards for Wednesday's matinee Bingo games (Rochester Voice photo)

ROCHESTER - Scores of eager Bingo fans filed into Granite State Bingo at the Lilac Mall for its first Wednesday matinee in its new home.
The hall, located in the space formerly occupied by a New Hampshire Liquor and Wine outlet is fitted with an array of Bingo screens projected onto walls that wrap around tables and chairs equipped to seat hundreds of patrons.
Hall Manager Sue Monaghan spent time greeting many of those who came in to enjoy an afternoon of Bingo play, the proceeds of which help fund seven local nonprofits, each one reaping a weekly reward for the day dedicated to helping them.
The seven nonprofits include Dover Youth Hockey, St. Ignatius Parish, Dover Moose, Triangle Club, Dover Rotary, My Friend's Place and Victims Inc.
The bingo hall, formerly located in Dover, serves as a critical source of revenue for area nonprofits who run the bingo games, raising up to nearly $900,000 annually since 2016.
"We look forward to fostering a strong partnership between the residents of Rochester and the nonprofits we serve as we open the doors on this new, larger bingo hall," said Monaghan. "For many of the nonprofits I work with, charitable bingo revenue is the lifeblood of their organizations and the services they provide. If we couldn't find a new home, those services would be in jeopardy."
Nightly games will start at 6:30 p.m., with doors opening at 4 p.m. and two matinees will be offered, with a game at 1 p.m. on Wednesdays and 1:30 p.m. on Sundays, with doors opening at 11 a.m. both days.
Visit Granite State Bingo's Facebook page for more details.