August 2014 - 6

VIEWPOINT
Fun is good.

- Dr. Seuss

Bridge with a purpose

I started thinking about this column in late
spring, when we found out that the bridge club
in Memphis was not going to have as much
activity on June 21 - the "longest" day of the year - as in 2013. The
scheduled games didn't work for the group I have been playing bridge
with at lunch for most of this year.
You probably know that the ACBL and the Alzheimer's Association
joined forces last year. ACBL clubs raised more than $550,000. The aim
for this year was to top that mark. Early indications are that the ACBLAlzheimer's Association partnership got it done.
Anyway, three members of our foursome - Cindy Hill, Liza Frisbie
and Stephanie Threlkeld - had hoped to play at the club on the special
day. When it became clear that wasn't going to work, Liza suggested
organizing a game at Headquarters.
Murry Hayes, expert duplicator, came up with deals. Jeff Johnston
provided hand records. Several players brought snacks for our Saturday-morning game. Donna, my wife, came and played with Shaneka
Cunningham and Kathy Byford. Their teammates were regular partners Joe Jones and Carol Robertson.
It took some doing, by the way, to pry Donna out of the ACBL Bridge
Museum (she was visiting HQ for the first time).
Thanks to two big swings in the first set - we played two 12-board
matches - Donna's team took a 20-IMP lead. On one of the key boards,
Joe held five hearts to the king, so he doubled when I got to 6♥. Carol
found the killing lead and I went down one. Well done, Carol and Joe.
Our team - I'm honored that it's called BBC for Brent's Bridge Club
- won the next three sets, but by slim margins, so our opponents came
out on top in total IMPs.
Our CEO, Robert Hartman, agreed that the ACBL would match whatever donations our group came up with, and when we added it all up,
our Longest Day bridge game - with nine participants - produced $940
for the Alzheimer's Association.
Best of all, we had fun. Afterwards, we enjoyed hearing about the
creative auction between Stephanie and Cindy, who perpetrated what
we decided was "Look Again Stayman," via this auction: 1♦ - Pass -
1NT (no major) - Pass; 2♣ (are you sure?) - Pass - 2♦ (yes, I'm sure:
no major) - Pass; 2NT - All Pass. We
laughed about the auction, but Cindy
and Stephanie were on the same page,
a good thing for a partnership.

6 Bridge Bulletin August 2014

American Contract Bridge League
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More contact information on page 82.

Bulletin
BRIDGE

Editor: Brent Manley

Managing Editor: Paul Linxwiler
Associate Editors: Sue Munday
Rob Clark
Graphic Design / Layout: Cindy Hill
THE BRIDGE BULLETIN (ISSN 1089-6376) is published
monthly by the American Contract Bridge League,
Inc., 6575 Windchase Blvd., Horn Lake MS 38637-1523,
662-253-3100. $5 per copy, $37 annually. Yearly subscription paid with annual dues. Periodicals postage paid at
Horn Lake MS and at additional mailing offices (USPS
488-430). Printed in the USA.
Canadian Publication rate paid at Windsor ON, Permit
#40040955. CANADIAN return address: c/o American
Contract Bridge League, P. O. Box 875, Stn A, Windsor
ON, Canada N9A 6P2.
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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of August 2014