Participants of the bridge-a-thon play an intense but friendly game of bridge at Beth El Hebrew Congregation as part of The Longest Day-- a day to raise awareness and money for Alzheimer’s--on Sunday, June 21. Photo by Abigail Constantino/The Connection
Fairfax County Public School students participated in a Bridge-a-thon on Sunday, June 21 at Beth El Hebrew Congregation in Alexandria. The event is part of The Longest Day, a team event to raise awareness and funds for the Alzheimer’s Association. It is usually held on the summer solstice, the longest day of the year.
Clad in all shades of purple, participants played an intense, yet friendly, game of bridge. Nayla Avila, an eighth grader at Mark Twain Middle School in Alexandria volunteers at Sunrise Senior Living in Springfield. “I enjoy playing bridge...with the elderly. We learn from each other,” she said.
Organizer Yen Deanda arranged a partnership with Sunrise and some Fairfax County schools to create an intergenerational bridge program three years ago. She was visiting a friend at the assisted living facility and thought it would be a good idea to bring everyone together. Now, “parents come, teachers come. They play with us,” she said.
The benefits of bridge, and other card and board games, in combatting Alzheimer’s are well-documented. A University of California, Berkeley study in 2000 found that contract bridge enhances the immune system. Another study in 2014 at the University of Wisconsin found a connection between playing games, such as checkers, cards, board games and puzzles, and mental sharpness and memory.
In addition to the cognitive boost, there is also the social aspect. Co-organizer Margot Hennings said that bridge is an excellent game to keep the brain active. Her mother played till she was 90 years old and passed away from Alzheimer’s. “It’s very addictive, intellectually challenging and just a whole lot of fun. You meet new people.”
Being socially active through bridge helps with the isolation some older people may experience.
What does it take to be a good bridge player? “You need to learn how to count and learn how to strategize,” said Robert E. Lee High School junior Trevon Johnson. He started playing in eighth grade and is now a certified bridge teacher. But his expertise does not mean he is beating the older players. “I’m not as skilled as these fine gentlemen and ladies,” but he enjoys playing the game and meeting interesting people.
Bridge hall of famer Steve Robinson said that bridge is “an easy game to learn but a hard game to play well.” But one thing about bridge, “even though it’s a game of skill, there’s a lot of luck involved.” He has been playing since 1959.