ACBL/CBF Longest Day Fundraises for Alzheimer’s
Dig out those bag chairs and pack up the coolers – ACBL/CBF’s Longest Day is one long day of bridge, bridge and more bridge.
One year my daughter and I were part of a team that walked for 12 hours around a track in the middle of a field, starting at 6 pm and finishing at 6 am. The field was full of tents and bbqs and there were clowns and jugglers and live music and thousands of small bags with tea lights commemorating loved ones who had passed away from cancer. This was, of course, the Canada Cancer Society’s Relay for Life, an annual fundraising event held across the country – if you haven’t tried it yet, I highly recommend the experience!
When I first heard about the ACBL and Alzheimer’s Association® Longest Day, this experience came to mind.
The Longest Day is held annually on the Summer Solstice – JUNE 20 2016 this year – and runs from sunrise to sunset symbolizing the challenging journey of those living with Alzheimer’s Disease. Teams are formed and encouraged to create their own experience, challenging participants to push their limits and complete approximately 16 hours of a consecutive activity – such as bridge! Through these activities, funds will be raised to fuel the care, support and research efforts of the Alzheimer’s Association®.
Teams are being formed throughout North America, and will be creating a variety of 16-hour activities. However, the ACBL and the CBF think bridge is a perfect vehicle for fundraising during The Longest Day. It’s fun of course but it is also known to help slow the onset of dementia!
The ACBL has put together its 4th annual Longest Day bridge fundraising event to take place June 20, 2016. You can show your support by registering as an official fundraising team with the Alzheimer’s Association, donating to a bridge team, participating in The Longest Day games and lessons – or all three.
Trump Alzheimer’s is the Canadian specific fundraising event sponsored by the Alzheimer Society of Canada and the Canadian Bridge Federation, held on the same day as The Longest Day and follows the same ACBL guidelines.
Special note: all bridge games held on the Longest Day are eligible for elevated masterpoint awards.
Here’s how some ways it can work:
Your Club can ‘form a team’
A bridge club can ‘form a team’ and then stage a marathon bridge event to take place for 16 hours. Members will join the club’s team and play bridge throughout the day.
The ACBL will ‘form a team’
The ACBL will be forming a team and individuals like YOU can join that team and then any time you play bridge on June 20 will help the ACBL/CBF fundraising efforts.
Other ideas
You and friends can create a fundraising bridge team that could play bridge online when not at the club, hold bridge exhibitions around your city or conduct free bridge lessons for the community. Use your imagination! And use social media to generate excitement and pledges and donations.
About the funds
ACBL’s goal is for each fundraising team to raise a minimum of $100/hour of activity; however, you can input your own fundraising goal when you register. Register your ‘team’ directly with the Alzheimer’s Association website and then encourage your team members to visit the page where there is an option to “donate,” and a confirmation of donation will be automatically generated. OR talk to your local bridge club and get them to register. Then you can go there on June 20th and paricipate – I’m thinking BBQ and purple table cloths! … but that’s just me.
The Details
We don’t know everything. So, for more information, registration, details AND LINKS, visit the ACBL registration page here: