USE OF EX-CONS DERAILS BINGO FUNDRAISER

TROY -- The Father Peter Young Foundation will end its once-a-week
bingo fundraiser after state officials said the ex-convicts being
helped by the foundation are barred by law from doing volunteer work
at the games.

"We were informed that the law does not allow anyone with a previous
criminal record to work or volunteer at bingo," said Bob Ward,
foundation board member. "We don't want to violate the law so we are
shutting down the games. This Thursday will be our last one."

For two years, the foundation, which has for years helped men and
women put their lives back together after getting out of prison or
recover from addiction, has held the fundraiser on Thursday nights at
the privately run bingo parlor in the Troy Atrium. Games have
garnered about a $1,000 a week for the various programs the
foundation runs, including its 28-day inpatient rehabilitation center
in Altamont.

Ward said the group got a license from the state and was issued a
permit by the city. The foundation was required to provide a list of
volunteers to the city, which did background checks to make sure no
one working that games had a criminal record, whether misdemeanor or felony.

"We were totally unaware of this problem until it just popped up,"
Ward said. "There was an oversight by the city, but we don't want to
assess any blame. It was just a mistake."

City officials referred comment to the state. Officials at the state
Racing and Wagering Board only said they had received complaints
lately about the operation.

One of the volunteers said the state and city have worked wonderfully
with the foundation and the bingo shutdown is a shame.

"We had seven men who gave two years of their time volunteering for
this weekly sober event," said the volunteer, who requested
anonymity. "They have worked incredibly hard to pull this off and
give something back to the foundation that helped us when we needed it most."

Oversight of such games of chance was originally under the Bingo
Control Commission, which was abolished in 1975 and its authority
transferred to the state Racing and Wagering Board.

The work of enforcing complex requirements that govern everything up
to what information must appear on volunteers' name tags falls mostly
to cities and towns. They issue the licenses, conduct most
inspections and make sure the books balance at year's end.

In 1959, Father Young founded the Peter Young Housing, Industries &
Treatment program in Albany's South End, and since then has helped
thousands of people recover from addictions and get their lives back
on track after doing prison time. The foundation has grown to five
nonprofit agencies with more than 80 divisions across the state.