Building a ‘bridge’ against Alzheimer’s
Ray Street centre gives the mind a workout and helps you meet new friends
Today is, as I’m sure you’re aware, the longest day of the year — and so, over at 100 Ray St. N., that simply means all the more time to play bridge.
There — 100 Ray St. N. — is where you’ll find the Hamilton Bridge Centre, and all day today the players of Hamilton will be making, not hay but tricks while the sun shines. And long into the night.
So if you’re walking past and hear “... no trump” like a chant throughout the long hours, it’s not a political protest. It just means fairly even strength throughout the suits in the bidders’ hands.
Even better, if you’re walking past, walk in and play the game or learn how. Part of the day’s activities will be hours of bridge lessons and easy bridge for beginners.
It’s called The Longest Day, a fundraiser the Hamilton Bridge Centre has taken up the last few years on behalf of the fight against Alzheimer’s meant to symbolize the seemingly interminable daily difficulty faced by those living with dementia and their caregivers, says Viktoria Renaud.
In the past, some have considered calling the event Trump Alzheimer’s, but of course that now has a different clang to it.
“Bridge has been proven to keep the mind active and ward off ” cognitive decline, says Viktoria, who has been running the bridge centre for years with husband Chuck Renaud, known for his long career in volunteerism (more than 50 years) and theatre/ TV work.
If you don’t know bridge, it’s one of the world’s most amazing games, on par with chess in terms of strategic and tactical thinking, but it also exercises one’s psychological instincts, concentration, partnership and memory.
It’s not just the mental acuity that gets a good tuning from bridge, but there’s an invigorating social aspect to it as well.
That’s not to say it’s not competitive. As I joined them on a recent Friday, there were several calls for “Director!” as players tried to resolve disputes.
“Director” is, of course, Viktoria. She settles things in a hurry. “You soon learn you can’t argue with me,” she says with a smile, but I believe her.
There’s a great, curious feeling in the room, people having fun, socializing and thinking up a storm. In between games, it’s up to stretch the legs and grab some biscuits and coffee or tea or some other refreshment.
Jim Wolsey was there and he’ll be out for The Longest Day event today. “It’s a mind thing,” he says of bridge’s attraction. I’ve had a couple of hip replacements” so bridge is a way for him to get out and about without having to get as strenuous as in, say, golf.
Pat Hunter says bridge makes her sharper when she goes to pass her driver’s tests.
Bob Miller — retired Stelco guy, big supporter of Hamilton Music Collective and An Instrument For Every Child — took it up seven years ago.
“My wife’s a very good player, a silver life master, and we were deciding on things to do together. It was bridge or ballroom dancing.” She said let’s do both but Bob’s starting with bridge ... and loving it.
They were to start early this morning at the Hamilton Bridge Centre with supervised play and after 1 p.m. it’s individual play and 7 p.m. until late into the night it’s open game.
“We’d love to see some young people,” says Viktoria. Well, young-er.
All the money raised from pledges and so on goes to the Alzheimer Society of Canada. The Hamilton Bridge Centre is part of the American Contract Bridge League.
Please support them today, in a good cause and a fun, beneficial activity — believe me, better than playing the slots.
For more information, contact 905-5286829.