Regardless of where the dice fall during an upcoming bunco tournament in Santa Maria, the real winners are the beneficiaries the annual event supports.
Proceeds from Bunco Bonanza and other programs hosted by the Kiwanis Club of Santa Maria throughout the year benefit several local causes, scholarships, and groups, including Children’s Resource and Referral of Santa Barbara County, the Allan Hancock College Foundation, and Sleep in Heavenly Peace.
“Each year, we raise funds through various fundraisers to support our work in the community,” Club President Donna K. Beal told the Sun via email.
Around this time of year specifically, some money the local Kiwanis Club chapter raises goes toward the nonprofit’s Back to School Shopping Spree, scheduled for Aug. 2 this year.
“We will take 125-plus children on a shopping spree at Old Navy,” Beal said about the event, which also gives a donated backpack full of school supplies to each child.
Santa Maria’s Old Navy on Betteravia Road shares the Enos Ranch West plaza with Chick-Fil-A, where kids at the spree will also get a free breakfast that day, Beal added.
While there are plenty of ways to support the Kiwanis Club’s ongoing efforts through monetary donations or volunteer work, events like Bunco Bonanza offer community members the chance to make a difference by paying an entry fee to compete with fellow donors over one of history’s most enduring dice games.
Seasoned bunco aficionados and first-time players alike are encouraged to attend the Aug. 16 event, from noon to 3 p.m., at Santa Maria’s Minami Community Center, which Beal described as a relaxed, family-friendly afternoon of gaming, eating, and drinking.
Tickets are $40, which includes a hot dog and hamburger lunch, while wine, beer, and mimosas will be available separately for purchase.
Attendees of the event can also look forward to a drawing and a prize lineup set for dispersal among some bunco winners—and losers, as there’ll be a special prize for most bunco losses awarded by the end of the afternoon.
As of July 24, Beal said that the club is “still recruiting prizes for the event and would love some local sponsors to provide gift items.”
The Kiwanis Club of Santa Maria’s goal for this year’s Bunco Bonanza is to raise $15,000, “which will make a tremendous impact on youth programs throughout Santa Maria,” Beal said.
Some of the nonprofit’s ongoing initiatives include leadership and life skill learning programs at Allan Hancock College, Santa Maria High School, Pioneer Valley High School, Arellanes Junior High School, and Bonita Elementary School.
One fundamental of these programs is “learning leadership through service,” as some young participants will take part in a range of activities from assisting at community food drives to helping elderly locals with chores and other daily tasks.
Beal, who’s served as the club’s president since October 2024, said that bunco has been a mainstay game at Santa Maria chapter events for a while, but not always as an annual fundraiser tradition.
“I believe we held our first bunco party during our 2018 Elks Rodeo queen campaign,” Beal said. “We revitalized it during our 2023 campaign, … and we have been doing it annually since.”
Highlights
• Vehicle pre-registration for Solvang’s third annual Viking Classic Car Show opened in late July, a few months ahead of the event itself scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 11. More than 200 cars usually participate in the show, hosted by the Vikings of Solvang. Proceeds of the event go toward the volunteer-run nonprofit’s efforts in providing medical assistance to individuals through different health care groups across Santa Barbara County.
• The Lompoc Library and Moms Club of Lompoc will co-host a fun and informative Books and Bubbles at the Park event on Friday, Aug. 1, from 10:30 a.m. to noon, at Ryon Park. The event’s focus will be car seat safety. Members of the Lompoc Fire Department and other special guests at the program will discuss the topic and answer questions about car seat safety checks.
Reach Senior Staff Writer Caleb Wiseblood at cwiseblood@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Jul 31 – Aug 10, 2025.