Standing, left to right, are Sue Hagerty, Terry Coe, Barbara Starrett and Al Spaet; seated are Linda Depew, Joyce Honorof, chairperson and Sue Young.
Barbara Starrett
On the summer solstice, the American Contract Bridge League (ACBL) holds The Longest Day event to raise money for the Alzheimer’s Association. From sunrise to sunset, ACBL members across the country host fundraisers which include all kinds of Bridge, card games, Mah-jongg, athletic events and teaching lessons to advance the cause. This year on Wednesday, June 21, 2017, at different SaddleBrooke One venues, SaddleBrooke’s two ACBL Sanctioned Bridge clubs, MountainView and Small Slams, joined with The Bridge Center of Greater Tucson to participate in The Longest Day fundraiser. They hosted several activities which included various Bridge games – duplicate, social and newcomers, Mah-jongg, canasta, a 50/50 raffle and a silent auction to raise money. There was a sea of purple shirts as the Alzheimer’s Association made them available for sale.
After the games everyone was invited to the Activity Center to enjoy complimentary wine and cheese, while they bought more 50/50 raffle tickets and bid on the silent auction items. They raised over $8298, all of which will be sent to the Alzheimer’s Association. Small Slams Bridge Club underwrote the expenses of the event with help from SaddleBrooke One, Bashas’ and AJ Peters of the Bridge Center who volunteered his services as director of the duplicate game.
The SaddleBrooke community was extremely generous in contributing to the event with donations to the silent auction, buying raffle tickets, bidding on the silent auction items.
The planning committee consisting of Joyce Honorof, chairperson, Terry Coe, Linda Depew, Sue Hagerty, Al Spaet, Barbara Starrett and Sue Young has decided to have this event next year and, with the generous support of the community, raise even more money to support the Alzheimer’s Association.
All three clubs are ACBL sanctioned and hold duplicate games that award ACBL masterpoints. MountainView Bridge Club is an open game and holds games Tuesdays and Fridays at 1:00 p.m. Small Slams Bridge Club is an invitational game that is limited to SaddleBrooke residents and their guests with 0-750 masterpoints and holds games Thursdays at 1:00 p.m. The Bridge Center of Greater Tucson holds all kinds of games Monday through Friday at 1:00 p.m. Websites are www.bridgewebs.com/mountainview/, www.smallslamsbridgeclub.com and www.tucsonbridge.com.