News & Comment
February -- the month of amethysts, violets -- and games benefiting the ACBLEF!
In Memphis during the summer 2018 NABC, District 12 Director Dennis Carman suggested that the ACBL add one more charitable month to their special events calendar. ACBL already celebrated the Junior Fund, plus the Charity, Grassroots and International Foundations, with months in which members could, for an extra $1 per player/game, support these charitable initiatives during their designated months. February became “our” month in March 2019, and we thank ACBL for adopting us!
Then came February 2020, our first “Educational Foundation Month,” and because of you, the Ed Foundation received $140K in contributions from these special games. With virtual games the norm and face-to-face bridge curtailed, ACBL awarded us one week of online games to add to our twenty-eight days of F2F play in March 2020. Thus, amid all the above, the Ed Foundation received more than $120K in February 2021.
During the month of February, noted for violets and amethysts - the gemstone which supposedly keeps its wearer thinking sharply - we ask you to please continue supporting our educational programs.
Because of your help, we have been able to provide grants to ACBL for digital teacher training, the summer College Bowl, the Collegiate Initiative, and an annual scholarship for the King/Queen of bridge.
As a result of your participation, we have been able to make grants to bridge camps, and, most recently, were able to launch BridgeWhiz, the largest educational bridge program to engage middle school students ever. As part of this program, the Educational Foundation has committed to providing free, one-year ACBL Junior Memberships to all students who graduate.
So, we thank Dennis Carman for his insight back in 2018, the ACBL Board (and Paul Cuneo, in particular) for helping to create, advocate for, and digitally expand February as our special bridge month. Most importantly however, we thank you for your past generosity and ask you to help us once again in 2022.
Please play for us!