This was such a heartwarming success that it became an annual event. During the years that followed, we began having fund-raisers. They included cookbooks, luncheons, raffles, charity tournaments and more.

When we took on two other schools, we realized we would have to reach out to the community. Grass Valley CA and Nevada City CA responded, and we found many ready to help local needy kids.

We named ourselves Bridge Players Have Hearts For Kids, and dreamed up new ways to raise funds. Garage sales were a great source, as were silent auctions, raffles, wine tastings and barbecue dinners. Last year, amazingly, we helped 66 needy elementary school kids!

Our events have been covered by our local newspaper several times, and the appreciation of the community is gratifying. But the gratitude of the kids and their parents is what helps make our holidays bright. Our scrapbook is filled with thank you notes from parents, children and schools. One sentence from a mother's letter says it all: “Thank you, bridge players, for touching so many families like ours with your giving hearts.” It has been our pleasure.
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Starting next year, thanks to Master Point Press and the American Bridge Teachers Association (ABTA), these anonymous-yet-praiseworthy mentors will finally have an annual award to call their own: the ABTA Master Point Press Teacher of the Year Award.

“This is really for the unsung heroes of the bridge world,” Barbara Seagram, co-author of the bestselling 25 Bridge Conventions You Should Know, chair of the ABTA Teacher of the Year Committee, and a bridge teacher herself, said in a statement. “At last there is an award for those in the trenches.”

To nominate someone, students are encouraged to e-mail one or two paragraphs to Barbara Seagram (bseagram@ca.inter.net) explaining why their teacher deserves consideration. Nominees must have at least five years’ teaching experience, and teach at least 75 hours a year. Nominations will close on April 1, 2010.

The award will be given to a teacher who exemplifies what Seagram calls “love for the game. They may not have a famous name, but their communication skills and enthusiasm promote bridge’s future, adding to your enjoyment.”

Master Point Press co-founder Ray Lee is “delighted” to be working with the ABTA to create the Teacher of the Year award. “It is the bridge teachers who bring new people into the game, and we want to recognize their hard work and dedication,” he said. The first winner will be presented with a “Teacher of The Year” plaque and a cash award next July in New Orleans at the ABTA’s 2010 convention.

The ABTA is a professional organization of bridge teachers from Canada, Mexico and the USA. Its mandate is to help those who teach bridge to do it better. Master Point Press is the world’s largest publisher of books on contract bridge with more than 150 titles in print. Most recently, MPP has expanded its reach by starting a blog site at www.bridgeblogging.com, aimed at providing a forum for discussion on all things bridge, and a sister site www.masteringbridge.com designed for teachers and students.

For more information on this new award, contact Barbara Seagram (bseagram@ca.inter.net) or phone 416-487-8321 or Linda Lee (info@masterpointpress.com) or phone 416-781-0351.
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The USBF is pleased to announce that it has entered into a discounted airfare agreement with Continental Airlines, exclusively for participants in the upcoming World Championship. If you are traveling to Philadelphia or Newark, NJ from Sept 26th until Oct 21st, 2010, simply call Continental's MeetingWorks Reservations at 800-468-7022 or your travel agent, and provide code CKT9ZG with Z code ZZP3 to receive a discount on your air travel. In many cases, this special arrangment will provide you with significant savings.

Please click here to access information about the hotel, schedule and entry fees. Additional information is available at http://www.worldbridge.org, http://www.usbf.org and http://www.ecatsbridge.com.
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