The Owensboro Duplicate Bridge Club (ODBC) – think the card game – has held an annual Christmas Charity Fundraiser for the last 10 years. What began as a modest $275 donation in 2012 has grown exponentially, with the club donating $6,000 to the St. Benedict’s Homeless Shelter this year.
Bridge club president Linda Edds and former president Doris Mills presented the check to the shelter’s executive director Harry Pedigo on Thursday morning.
The concept for the fundraiser began in 2012 when a homeless man from New York played bridge at the club while temporarily staying in an Owensboro shelter. By getting to know him, the members wanted to do something to help the homeless in Owensboro.
“We raised $275 that year, and a new annual tradition began,” Mills said. “Each year, the amount raised has increased thanks to the generosity of the club and its members. It has become a beautiful way for ODBC members to give back to the community and help those in need at Christmas time.”
Bridge is a trick-taking card game using a standard 52-card deck, played by four players in two competing partnerships. The mental challenge of the game, with each game offering a unique combination of problems and solutions, attracts millions of players to it worldwide.
ODBC is an American Contract Bridge League (ACBL)-certified club, meeting three times weekly for Bridge games. The group initially hosted its games inside the Senior Community Center of Owensboro-Daviess County before securing a more permanent location inside Towne Square Mall.
There are games Mondays at 6 p.m. as well as Wednesdays and Fridays, with some members traveling from as far as Madisonville and Bowling Green. The club offers beginner lessons for anyone interested in learning the game.
