I don't think any of us thought of the long-term effects when Carol Monte, a member of my mah-jongg group, suggested in January 2008 that we access ourselves a "penalty" when we lost a mah-jongg game. After a while, we would donate the proceeds to charity. At a quarter per lost game, just how much money could be accumulated anyway? And what could be done with it?

As it turns out, quite a bit of money can be accumulated a quarter at a time and very much good can be done with it.

With eight to twelve players per week, approximately $10 goes into the money bag at the end of each session. The biggest "loser" so far has paid $2.25--that's losing 9 mah-jongg games and having a disappointing morning! However, the average drop-in-the-bag is closer to a dollar.

And our total so far? In slightly over three years, the group has donated $1650. If the matching funds from El Dorado Jewelry and Loan for the Kool Lunch program are counted, it comes to $1800.

The decision of where and when to disburse the funds is made as a group, and while Christmas is a favorite time, it's not the only one. So far, $200 has gone to a friend in need; $100 to Friends of Fannin County Critters in a memorial; $150 to the Kool Lunch program, with another $150 added in the match; and $1200 to Bonham Community Ministries.

Some of the members of the Bonham Mah-Jongg group