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Members of the Bunco group |
While
Bunco is the primary reason for their monthly gathering, a group of local women
have also created a community of giving that extends far beyond the dice game.
Diane
Loring and a group of friends and neighbors began gathering to share a friendly
game of Bunco each month 49 years ago. Though membership of the group has
changed over the years, due to life circumstances, the game has gone on. “We’ve
been through marriages, divorces, births and deaths. We’ve lost four of our
original members over the years,” Loring said. She and her longtime friend,
June Pierce, are the only remaining original members, though some joined them
shortly thereafter.
The
game of Bunco requires twelve players each time, since they play three tables
of four, Loring said. That’s why the group includes twelve regular members, and
four alternates. If one of the regulars is unable to play, an alternate is
called.
The
group decides together what their fund will be used for, and over the years
they have supported individual members in times of need as well as people and
groups in the community. They’ve donated to the food pantry, purchased
backpacks for children at the beginning of the school year, and contributed to
neighbors helping neighbors, among other things. This year, the Bunco group put together 42
bags for the residents at Ledgewood nursing home that contained lap robes and
other small necessities.
Loring
said that the group, most of whom are in their seventies and live in Windham,
mainly comes together for their monthly game. “Some of us are friends outside
of Bunco, but a lot of us, we see each other once a month and we have a great
time,” she said. It feels good to be able to do something for the community as
well, Loring said.
Loring
said the group has donated quietly throughout the years. “We’ve been under the
radar, and we’re not out there to make a name for ourselves,” she said. “But we
have done quite a bit when you put it all down on paper,” she added.