IThank you to everyone who made our 2025 Longest Day Unit Game on June 21st such a success! Team Captain Fred Chasalow motivated us all and Co-chairs Barbara Lewis and Marie Pattie put tremendous energy towards the cause, uniting our bridge community in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease. Sandra Tilch created a special space with decorations honoring the Longest Day campaign. Unit Game coordinators Leslie Braker and Eileen DiGiorgio managed the day perfectly and fed everyone a delicious lunch. Kit Morse helped Director Jenny Kuhn get 66 players seated to cap the day off with a great bridge game.
Bart Westcott from the Alzheimer’s Association presented us with a plaque honoring our past success as one of the top fundraising organizations and encouraged us to continue our efforts to meet our 2025 fundraising goal.
Our Longest Day fundraising team surpassed our 2025 goal of $40,000 and raised $41,167! We finished seventh nationally amongst ACBL teams. Many, many thanks to Barbara Lewis, Marie Pattie, Janelle Van Rensselaer, the Longest Day committee, and to everyone who supported the fight against Alzheimer’s disease with their time, talents and donations!
A Letter from Fred Chasalow
I have been asked many times, “Why did you start to raise money for the Alzheimer’s Association?”
Here is my answer:
In December 1907, my grandfather came to the US from a village near Pinsk. I remember him showing me Pinsk on an atlas. During the Russo-Japanese war, soldiers had come to conscript him for the army. Conscripts served for 20 years, if they lived that long. He left by the back door, walked to the Netherlands and boarded a ship to the US. Once, I counted 11 languages that he spoke fluently: English, Russian, Polish, German, Yiddish, Hebrew, Aramaic and several others. When I was 5 he taught me algebra, long division and square roots. All things he knew well. He kept the books for his store and rental real estate. Despite all of these abilities, when he was 75, he was no longer able to care for himself and had to move into a nursing home. I went to visit him regularly with my Mom. After a while, he could no longer even be sure who I was. Those days must have been extremely long for him. My greatest health fear is that I may lose my mental ability, just as my grandfather did.
When the Longest Day program with the ACBL started, I recognized the opportunity to raise money for Alzheimer’s syndrome and other dementia diseases.
My challenge to you is:
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