The group marked the milestone today (Dec. 15), by making a donation of $2,000 to the Yorkton Public Library, where they meet each Wednesday at 1 p.m. The money has been utilized to purchase a defibrillator for the library.
“Defibrillators are devices that restore a normal heartbeat by sending an electric pulse or shock to the heart,” notes the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute webpage. “. . . Automated external defibrillators (AEDs), which are in many public spaces, were developed to save the lives of people experiencing sudden cardiac arrest. Even untrained bystanders can use these devices in an emergency.”
Bridge club member Sharon Litvanyi said when fellow member Ed Magus pointed out the club had been around 65 years it was felt they should mark the occasion in some way, and the defibrillator seemed like an excellent piece of equipment to have in a public space such as the library.
Litvanyi said over the years there have been many dedicated players including Cliff Hainey, Jim and Irene Calanchie, John and Kay Daum, Albert Hickey, Lenore Stewart, Gary Fletcher and Godfrey and Betty Schmidt, and it was good to reflect on their contributions too.
While the club now meets at the library – which also hosts cribbage and whist groups – the duplicate bridge players have met over the years at the now gone Royal Canadian Legion hall and the Godfrey Dean Cultural Centre.
Today there are roughly 20 players, meaning four or five tables for bridge on a given week, said Litvanyi, quickly adding “we would love some new members.”
The afternoon of entertainment is certainly low-cost. There is no membership fee, only a $3 per day fee to help pay for the room and coffee.
The only thing Litvanyi did note, “you should know a little bit” about duplicate bridge before coming out.
So what is duplicate bridge?
“Duplicate bridge is the most widely used variation of contract bridge in club and tournament play,” according to Wikipedia. “It is called duplicate because the same bridge deal (i.e. the specific arrangement of the 52 cards into the four hands) is played at each table and scoring is based on relative performance. In this way, every hand, whether strong or weak, is played in competition with others playing identical cards, and the element of skill is heightened while that of chance is reduced.”
Anyone wanting more information on the club can call 306-620-6605 or 306-782-1689.
