Bridge club hosting The Longest Day

June 21 is the longest day of the year. It’s also the day clubs across the country, including the Birmingham Duplicate Bridge Club (BDBC), at 144 Business Center Drive, will celebrate and raise awareness for Alzheimer’s by playing bridge from 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.

“The premise of it is from sunrise to sunset, so we’ll be playing bridge all day that day,” said Sandy Smith, BDBC office manager. Bridge, like other games, has been proven by some researchers to help fight memory loss diseases, which affects millions of Americans each year. 

“This is something that’s going to be affecting all of us eventually. It’s not an easy thing to watch somebody that you love just decline,” Smith said.

The bridge club began celebrating The Longest Day after the American Contract Bridge League partnered with the Alzheimer’s Association. 

“I have a special relationship with Alzheimer’s and have had family members who suffer from it, so it was a cause I was interested in the bridge club participating in,” she said. She said another club member has a family connection to Alzheimer’s and when the partnership occurred, the two of them “took the ball and ran with it.”

Since its inception, Smith said their event has evolved, including something new every year. She also said each year the BDBC has exceeded the previous year with money raised.

The BDBC will raise funds by charging an extra $1 for games the week prior and hosting a silent auction. The auction selection will include gift cards to local restaurants, items made by club members, lessons from bridge instructors and the opportunity to have well-known bridge author and columnist Frank Stewart as a bridge partner. 

“That was actually, from what I understand, a spirited auction [last year],” Smith said. The auction for Frank Stewart will likely close the Sunday before The Longest Day to allow for bridge players to make arrangements with their partners.

They also will be selling memory cards, where participants can purchase a card remembering or honoring someone who suffers from Alzheimer’s.

Smith said four games are scheduled throughout the day at 6:30 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. While the club does host a regular game on Wednesdays at 12:30 p.m., players are asked to sign up at the club for the non-regular games in the preceding days. 

Players also are encouraged to “come as you are” for the early morning game, pajamas, curlers and all, and “paint the club purple” by wearing purple the rest of the day forAlzheimer’s awareness.

There are no registration fees, and Smith said interested players can go to thelongestday.org to raise funds as an individual or as part of the Birmingham Duplicate Bridge Club team. 

Smith does recommend that potential players have bridge experience, but they “would be delighted” if others who could not play supported their cause by donating.