Orrville card group is a true bridge to friendship
Margaret Sander, left, and Becky Jewell are members of a group that meets monthly at the Orrville YMCA to play bridge.
Sometimes playing cards is about more than playing cards; it’s about friendship, fellowship and connection.
A bridge group that now meets at the Orrville YMCA started as the Heartland Bridge group, so-named because the group regularly met at Heartland Point in Orrville before the building was shuttered during the pandemic. For those unfamiliar with bridge, it is a trick-taking card game using a standard 52-card deck. In its basic format, it is played by four players in two competing partnerships, with partners sitting opposite each other around a table.
“A lot of credit for forming the bridge group goes to Cheryl Backstrom, who taught bridge classes,” said Margaret Sander, a longtime member of the group. “When Heartland Point closed, the Orrville YMCA was welcoming and play continued. The group still honors her memory with a plaque displayed at the YMCA during games.”
Many friendships have been formed through the bridge group. Some players knew each other from the community, but Sander recounted the friendship she formed with Richard “Dick” Gurich, who passed away a few years ago. It was only through bridge that they connected in person.
“Dick and I had lived near each other for decades, but we only met through bridge,” Sander said. “It turned out we had many interests in common including season tickets to Playhouse Square in Cleveland for many years, at the same time.”
Bridge is a game of lifelong learning. “Bridge is one of those games where you are always learning, even after playing for 20, 30 or 40 years,” said Becky Jewell, another member of the group. “There are new conventions to learn and new strategies. Thousands of books have been written on the game of bridge.”
The group tries not to take things too seriously. While bridge can seem intimidating, the most important thing is to have fun. “Ray Parnell, Margaret’s brother, a master in bridge, gave us an occasional bridge lesson,” member Karen Ferrara said. “We all became friends and shared many stories, as well as garden veggies.”
The card group meets on the first Monday of the month at 1 p.m. at the Orrville YMCA. The group may meet in Orrville but isn’t limited to people living there. Currently, members include residents of Wooster and West Salem.
“We welcome people who want to learn or those who haven’t played for years and want to start again,” Jewell said. “Bridge is a great game to keep our brains active and engaged.”
If interested in learning how to play bridge or in reigniting your bridge game, call the Orrville YMCA at 330-683-2153.