Bridge players surpass $1 million goal to fight Alzheimer’s

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HORN LAKE, Miss., Oct. 9, 2023 — Bridge players across the country came together in June to raise more than $1 million for the Alzheimer’s Association’s yearly summer fundraiser, The Longest Day. During the week of the summer solstice — the day of the year with the most sunlight — bridge clubs of the American Contract Bridge League hosted games, lessons, auctions and more to raise awareness of and fight Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. This year, 226 bridge clubs garnered $1,087,546 toward The Longest Day.

Due to the game’s social-gathering aspects and mentally engaging challenges, the Alzheimer’s Association recommends bridge among “10 Ways to Love Your Brain” for people to reduce the risk of cognitive decline. ACBL began partnering with the Alzheimer’s Association for The Longest Day in 2013 and has since raised $9.3 million toward the cause.

“Many of our lives have been touched by Alzheimer’s and dementia, and the ACBL community has rallied to support the research for its prevention and treatment by participating in an activity they love,” said Bronia Jenkins, ACBL’s executive director. “I am amazed by the generosity of our membership and the hard work they put into The Longest Day to support the Alzheimer’s Association.”

The top fundraising groups of ACBL’s global team were:

1. Bridge Club of Atlanta – Atlanta, Georgia – $171,385 raised
2. BRIDGExpress – Great Neck, New York – $116,506 raised
3. St. Louis Bridge Center – St. Louis, Missouri – $55,617 raised
4. Indianapolis Bridge Center – Indianapolis, Indiana – $43,338 raised
5. Santa Barbara Bridge Center – Santa Barbara, California – $40,034 raised
6. Unit 498 & The Peninsula Team – Belmont, California – $33,732 raised
7. Bridge Heroes 2023 – Arlington, Virginia – $32,586 raised
8. Charlotte Bridge Association – Charlotte, North Carolina – $30,297 raised
9. Fort Wayne Duplicate Bridge Club – Fort Wayne, Indiana – $23,460 raised
10. Evansville Duplicate Bridge Club – Newburgh, Indiana – $22,032 raised
11. Granbury Bridge Club – Granbury, Texas – $19,200 raised
12. San Diego Unit 539 – San Diego, California – $17,450 raised
13. Duke City Bridge Club – Albuquerque, New Mexico – $16,737
14. ACBL Unit 206 – Hixson, Tennessee – $15,551
15. Newtown Bridge Club – Sandy Hook, Connecticut – $15,395

Additionally, ACBL donated all sanction fees collected from these games to the global team.

“The Alzheimer’s Association congratulates and thanks ACBL for another outstanding year as a Global Team for The Longest Day, raising more than $1,078,000,” said Dr. Joanne Pike, president and CEO of the Alzheimer’s Association. “This has been a remarkable year for Alzheimer’s advancements, including new treatments to slow progression of the disease. We are grateful to everyone in the ACBL community for your ongoing commitment in making these advancements possible. The funds ACBL members raise every year continue to propel critical Alzheimer’s Association care, support and research programs.”

About the American Contract Bridge League

Founded in 1937, the American Contract Bridge League is the largest bridge organization in the world, serving 135,000 members and 3,000 bridge clubs and sanctioning 1,100 sectional and regional tournaments annually. The ACBL’s three North American Bridge Championships each attract up to 6,500 players from all around the world. A challenging and rewarding card game, bridge draws players of all ages and walks of life – from Bill Gates and Warren Buffett to Jeopardy champion James Holzhauer. For more information about the ACBL, visit acbl.org.