Great News! The Nationals are Coming to Seattle!

The last time the Nationals were here was Fall 2011—where many of us attended our first Nationals, and some of us won our first gold points! Two of us even won a national title (Pat and Polly Dunn, Senior Mixed Pairs).  Headed by Barbara Nist, this event was an out-and-out party for the Seattle bridge community.  We had wonderful weather, put on a great bridge burlesque (shout outs to Andy Kopser, Marcia Rayton, and Ruth Bunin), ran a successful cruise for the Intermediate/Novice players (due to hard work by John Weinberg and yours truly)—it was a great time for all.

Well, we get to try it again!  D19 recently approved to have the Fall NABCs for 2027 to be held here in Seattle.  We are in the process of putting together our committees and army of volunteers needed to make this event a success. We will need help with everything from soliciting donations to manning information desks, from selecting promotional gifts for our attendees to locating entertainment, from stuffing registration bags to handing out prizes.  If we raise enough money, volunteers may get free parking or free plays for their help.  If you are interested in helping out, let me know.  Jobs can be big or small, and ideas and energy are always welcome.  Contact Ann Romeo at [email protected].

There is nothing like going to a Nationals and be able to sleep in your own bed!

The Puget Sound Regional (aka Lynnwood) is Coming!  Announcing  New Events and Time

Per usual, District 19 will be running the Puget Sound Regional in August, from Monday Aug 19 through Sunday Aug 25, at the Lynnwood Event Center.  What’s new this year?  We will be running a daylight schedule, so that most events will start at 10:00 and 3:00, with evening games starting  at 7:15.  We are also offering new events for our players: a Pro-Am game on Monday at 3:00, a Non-Life Master Charity Pairs at 7:15 on Monday night, a 0-300 Pairs on Saturday at 10:00, and finally, a Semi-Fast Pair series at 7:15 pm Tue-Friday.

Other highlights will be a charity auction run by Bridge for Youth, and our Tips for Tops, to be offered by some of our area’s best instructors. Stay tuned for more information, and if you have any questions in the meantime, contact Ann Romeo at  [email protected].

Remembering David Schmidt

David Schmidt, July 14, 1950 – November 20, 2023

David George Schmidt was born in Abbotsford, British Columbia and grew up on a farm in the Fraser Valley.  He earned a BA in creative writing from the University of British Columbia.  David was a past president of the BC Farm Writers Association and a past director and president of the Canadian Farm Writers Federation and is editor emeritus of Country Life in BC.  He was named BC’s Agriculturist of the Year in 2000 and received the Canadian Farm Writers Federation’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016.

His business provided personal and small business tax services in British Columbia.

David loved duplicate bridge.  He joined the ACBL in 1978 and was a Sapphire Life Master.  He gave back to the game he enjoyed ― for more than two decades as a board member and treasurer for District 19.

David is remembered by duplicate players throughout the northwest for his intense play, good humor, and willingness to help.

Successful Victoria Regional

The 2023 Victoria Regional Bridge Tournament is now over.

It ran from April 17 to 23, 2023.

The tournament was very successful with 659 players attending, and a total of 1257 tables played.

For complete details, please access the Daily Bulletins.

We look forward to seeing you again in two years for the 2025 edition!
 

BridgeWhiz- a program for kids to learn bridge!

BridgeWhiz can give your child or grandchild a brighter future. As a parent, you’d do anything to give your child a happy, successful life. Now you have a wonderful opportunity to do just that – through the mind-building challenge, great fun, and competitive excitement of duplicate bridge.

The Bridge for Youth-Seattle is now registering students grades 4-12 that live in District 19 for BridgeWhiz, an ACBL Educational Foundation sponsored program. BridgeWhiz, a FREE online course, is designed to teach your children and grandchildren the essentials of a fascinating game whose benefits, intellectual stimulation, and adventure will last a lifetime. For more info, download the BridgeWhiz flyer.

Learning to play bridge will nurture your child’s team and individual competitive spirit. Build social skills. And enhance deductive reasoning and math abilities. In fact, young bridge players outscored their non-playing counterparts on the 2007 Iowa Test of Basic Skills by 39.31% in Science, 24.22% in Math, and 22.74% in Social Science.

Help spread the word. Tell your friends, neighbors, and families. Email to your Bridge club directory. Post on Facebook and Next-door Neighbor. Share with your child’s school principal.

Register now at BridgeWhiz. Live classes start Oct. 17, 2022.