May 2019 - 35

♣♣♣♣ TOP 50 CLUBS ♣♣♣♣
Table counts for 2018

Bob Gaudet and Dianne Koch display two of their get-well cards.

Mass. club focuses on building community
E. Ashley Rooney | Family Friendly Bridge Club

Here in Massachusetts' Middlesex County, Bob Gaudet
and a small group of bridge players established the Family
Friendly Bridge Club in 2015. It quickly grew. The club has
moved three times, as the membership exceeded its space.
Currently located in Arlington, it has more than 600 members: 80% are women and 97% are retired.
The club is not just about playing bridge. It is about
bridging the gaps between people. Loneliness among
seniors is a growing health concern for families and physicians. The lifestyle of the younger generation does not
permit spending time with senior family members, and
seniors' mobility issues often prevent them from participating in community events.
To create this community, Gaudet and his sister, Dianne
Koch, design get-well cards, which are signed by many
club members, and delivered to hospital rooms or rehab
facilities. One member, who received a card, was so delighted that he showed it to his nurses and his family. The
club always serves a cake and makes an announcement
when someone achieves Life Master or when a member
becomes a new U.S. citizen. And when someone passes,
Gaudet spreads the sad news among the club members.
Gaudet says, "People don't come to Family Friendly
Bridge Club just because they want masterpoints. They
come because they want to meet friends; they come to
socialize; they come to feel connected, wanted and loved."
The club is addressing the loneliness of seniors, of those
who have lost loved ones, and of those who have no one to
share their thoughts and experiences with. Members have
the fun of playing bridge, or solving the challenge of a tricky
hand, and even competing, but more importantly they are
making and maintaining new social connections.
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Honors
The Villages DBC
Jourdan's Bridge Club
Essex Bridge Center
Vero Beach Bridge Center
Laguna Woods DBC
St. Louis Bridge Center
Naples Bridge Center Inc
Sagamore Bridge Club
Westside Bridge Academy
The Hartes' Club
Bridge Academy of No. Dallas
Boca Raton DBC
Adventures In Bridge
Temple Sinai DBC
Bridge Club of Atlanta
South Orange County U538
G&G In-Between DBC
Fort Lauderdale Bridge Club
Duke City Bridge Club
The Bridge Deck
Vanderbilt Bridge Club
Shakespeare's Elbow BC
Mandel JCC PBG
Toronto Bridge Club
Glen Rock Bridge Center
Louisiana Bridge Association
Adobe Bridge Club
Bonita Bridge
In Tempo Bridge Club
Hartford Bridge Club
DBC of Sun City Center
The Bridge Connection
The 750 Club
Bridge on Shea
Long Beach Bridge Center
Mississauga-Oakville
Community BC
McGregor Point Bridge Club
Bridge Quebec
Beverly Hills Bridge Club
Indianapolis Bridge Ctr. Inc.
Bridge Center of Austin
The Bridge Spot
Rockville Duplicate
St. Petersburg Bridge Club
Thornhill Bridge Club
Vancouver Bridge Centre
Bridge Centre of Niagara
Hilton Head Island BC
Atlanta DBC

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6555
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6508
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6489
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6384.5
6020
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5826
5790

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May 2019 Bridge Bulletin

May 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of May 2019