'The Longest Day' bridge tournament benefits Alzheimer's research in Dallas on Friday

Alzheimer’s Disease patients and their families face many long days battling the heartbreaking disease, and that’s one reason a group of game playing North Texans will band in solidarity during a day-long bridge tournament Friday.  

Headed by club captain and Celina resident Gerrie Owen, the Valley View Bridge Club will play competitive hands and offer free lessons during 'The Longest Day,' an annual, nationwide fundraiser by the American Contract Bridge League (ACBL). All proceeds support Alzheimer’s Disease research and treatment.

Beginning at 10 a.m., participants will play concurrent games at the Edgemere Retirement Homes community at 8523 Thackery St. in Dallas.  Players pitch in $20 to play, and that covers lunch, as well as wine and hors d’oeuvres at 7 p.m. Guests do not have to be Edgemere residents or members of the Valley View Bridge Club to play, nor do they have to play to attend the event or donate.

A certified bridge director, Owen has been playing the game since around 1970. Part of her duties include facilitating games for multiple players – sometimes as many as 120 players at 30 tables – every week at places like Edgemere.

“I just boss them around, basically,” she said, laughing. “I set up the games, outline the rules, teach lessons and so forth as a bridge director.”

Teaching bridge lessons is, in fact, her primary job as a director. She currently has about 60 students at the Dallas Woman’s Club, where she’s taught for 11 years.

Sunday is June 21, the summer solstice, and literally the longest day of the year. According to a PR officer, clubs traditionally play on that date, but because it falls on both a Sunday and Father’s Day this year, many have chosen to hold tournaments today. The Edgemere community holds an annual garage sale fundraiser each June where residents participate in special dinners and events that benefit Alzheimer’s research and relief.

“The dates just happened to come together, so we’re going to participate in both fundraisers concurrently,” she said. “One-hundred percent of the proceeds benefits Alzheimer’s sufferers.”

Owen said the players she works with every week are competitive, more so than most who play friendly games at home.  Edgemere has computerized equipment, which means players at each table typically wind up playing the same hands during the course of the day, though not simultaneously.

“We have really great players, the type who, if someone does better than them on a particular hand, they want to know why,” she said.

The sanctioning body for the game of bridge, the ACBL is made up of members who play primarily through local clubs like the Valley View Bridge Club. The average ACBL player is 69-years-old and many are “significantly affected by Alzheimer’s Disease,” according to a press release. Donna McCullough, vice president of mass market development for the Alzheimer’s Association, called bridge players “great ambassadors” for the cause, mainly due to many players’ personal connections to the disease.

One such ambassador is Celina resident J. L. McElroy who Owen said plays at a game she directs each Wednesday.

“Jim comes and plays most weeks, and I think he will be there. He and his wife were big players, and she’s now in a retirement home with Alzheimer’s,” Owen said. “We’re all very aware of how important Alzheimer’s research is as we age.”

Doctors have long recommended games and puzzles as part of a healthy lifestyle for aging adults, whether or not they have exhibited symptoms of memory impairment. According to a 2014 study by the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, games like crossword puzzles, checkers and bridge increase brain volume in areas crucial for memory function.

But, brain twisters offer more when paired with a challenge of wits: The social aspect associated with certain multiplayer games has also been found to contribute to healthy aging.

“Studies have shown strong links between cognitive training and social activity – two of bridge’s chief benefits – and improved brain health,” said Robert Hartman, CEO of the ACBL. “The game alone challenges and stimulates mental acuity, but there’s also a strong social aspect that can aid with successful aging.”

During The Longest Day’s first two years, over 160 clubs raised more than $1 million combined for the Alzheimer’s Association. This year, organizers have increased its goal to $600,000.