The Longest Day
The Longest Day is the ACBL’s premier charitable event, uniting the bridge community each year in support of the fight against Alzheimer’s disease. It’s a powerful example of bridge serving a greater purpose – combining a love for the game with a commitment to making a difference in the lives of others.
Many District 16 clubs participated by hosting special fundraising games and events. These included selling raffle tickets for chances to win free plays as well as auctions where players could bid for the opportunity to partner with some of the Unit’s top players. Imagine donating to the Alzheimer’s Association and getting to play with one of the better players in your Unit – now that’s a win-win.
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Philadelphia Nationals
The Summer Nationals are over, and many District 16 players returned home with impressive masterpoint totals. For a detailed summary, see Scott Nason’s report later in the Scorecard.
The top masterpoint winner from District 16 was Shawn Quinn. I had the opportunity to speak with Shawn and congratulate her on winning her 26th National title, playing with her longtime friend, Pam Wittes.​​
Shawn shared a short story from the event. After two strong sessions, she accidentally took her morning medication Monday evening and got very little sleep. Fortunately, that didn’t seem to affect her play. In the third session, she and Pam posted a spectacular 68% game, followed by an equally impressive 65.6% in the fourth and final session.
Their final score of 919.05 was 118.42 matchpoints ahead of the second-place finishers (800.63). Since a top board was worth 25 matchpoints, this meant they finished nearly 4¾ boards ahead of second place – a truly remarkable performance.
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"We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give." – Winston Churchill
