Kona Bridge

I played ACBL duplicate bridge today at the Kona bridge center within Hualalai Academy. Hawley and I did well enough to get some points, Everyone was very friendly and I had a great time. I am looking forward to more bridge in Kona. There are three games a week in the summer. Only 4.5 tables today. They miss their snow birds.

Kona bridge is interesting in that they have purchased their own facility. The Hualalai Academy donated land on their campus because they wanted a community center type building that can be used for a variety of events. They allowed the bridge club to build the building and obviously use it when they want. One of the members spouses work(ed) at the Academy and thus set this up. A call went out to members to see if money could be raised to build a building.

Kona bridge game

No one thought enough money could be raised - maybe in a few years at most. But the email was sent. "John" responded that he would match the highest donation pledged. Most everyone said they would donate from $100 to $500. "Dave" surprisingly pledged $250,000! That meant "Joe" had to match $250,000, which he did! Now they were talking real money and a real building. Several others pledged in the $25,000 to $50,000 range and the building was built and is in use today. It has a small stage, a kitchen area, a large open space that can be set up with tables and chairs, or as a theater or other event. It is a very versatile and useful, busy building. It is aptly named the "Bridge Building".  The bridge club has to set up the tables and chairs and bid boxes each game, but it is convenient and everyone pitches in; even the ones playing the last sit out stay to help.  The club has the electronic score machines, but we must shuffle every game.  It is $3.00 to play. The Board pays to make every game one of the special games you can pay an extra dollar to ACBL for, and get double points.  They have a “listserve” that allows you as a member to send out an email to everyone to ask for a partner.  Game results are posted on the website.  And the most interesting thing is that at the end of the month, the local paper, West Hawaii Today, publishes the month’s winners and other bridge club news!  They usually have a Sectional in the winter.

I have begun to meet some of the resident members. Mostly locals are playing this time of year. One of the most beautiful women I have ever seen with white hair plays often and was one of the group who goes out to dinner after the game on Thursdays. Someone told me she is in her late 80's. You could have knocked me over. I discovered that two other beautiful ladies with gray hair who are smart and spry as they come, are 93 and 94. One was also at the Thursday dinner. One very interesting lady was in television. I asked more about it. She said that you should never be too good at your job. She was a secretary at a network, but she couldn't really type or take shorthand, so they had to find her another job. She was promoted to an idea person.  She worked on “I’ve Got a Secret”.  At one time, she said, she had discovered ordinary people with the actual names of all the Presidents of the United States right there on Manhattan Island.  She would get calls from Abraham Lincoln or John F. Kennedy.  I guess some of these people “had a secret” on the show.

After the game you can buy 100% Kona coffee from Jim for $15.00 a pound, or a jar of Kona Golden Lava Sweet Hot Mustard from Shelley.  There are usually limes or oranges to take home for free.  I should bring some of our excess bananas to donate, but I suspect everyone there has too many as well.