Complimentary Issue of Better Bridge Magazine March / April 2020 | Page 12

COME TO THE PARTY
Connecting the Community
The Mathewson Bridge Center
celebrated its Grand Opening on
February 14th, 2020, thanks to
a generous donation from The
Mathewson Foundation.
Hundreds of people joined in the
festivities. Bob Hamman made
a special appearance and marked
the official opening in the ribbon-
cutting ceremony. There were hors
d’oeuvres, party favors, and live
music performance from P’Opera
whose singers and musicians
delighted everyone with songs from
Hair and South Pacific. After the
party, the Bridge Center hosted
a Sectional Tournament on the
following two days. Players came to
play in pair and team games in open,
non-Life Master, and 49er sections.
The support from the local bridge
community was overwhelming!
It wasn’t easy getting to this point,
however. For many years, the Reno
Bridge Club – the forerunner of the
Mathewson Bridge Center – went
Fred Kelly and Susan Powell, dressed
as the King and Queen of Bridge, at the
opening party. Together with Kathy
Lane, Susan has been instrumental in
recruiting and developing the players
in the Reno Bridge Club.
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Bob Hamman (center) marked the opening of the Mathewson Bridge Center with
Jill Wallace, ACBL Unit President (far left), Kathy Lane, and Steve Price,
Washoe Bridge Society President.
through ebbs and flows in player
participation. “We used to have only
one to three tables on Tuesdays,”
explained Kathy Lane and Susan
Powell, two volunteers and game
directors who, many in the club
said, were the primary movers to
help turn the club around. “A few
of us introduced bridge lessons for
a nominal fee and started a mentor
program with coaching sessions.”
A popular format is the ‘Limited
Game’ which is still on the club’s
current game schedule. The idea
is players with more than 500
masterpoints may not play together as
partners. This allows less experienced
players to play with a partner/coach
who has more experience and in a
friendly environment.
Slowly, the games grew bigger and
more games were added. Twice a
month, the Bridge Center hosted
Swiss Team events, averaging 23-24
tables, but the room was cramped.
Additionally, lighting in the parking
A udrey G rant ’ s B etter B ridge | M arch -A pril 2020
lot was poor and there was never
enough parking space. To address
these issues and in anticipation of new
and returning players from the baby
boomer generation, the bridge club
knew they had to look for a better,
permanent facility to accommodate
their continued growth.
Chuck Mathewson, a Reno resident
and an avid bridge player, agreed
to help and made a $1 Million
donation.
So the planning began. It took a
long time but they found a location
and facility with abundant parking.
There are eight games a week and
beginner and intermediate bridge
lessons. No more jostling required
to get from one table to the next
as there’s enough room for forty
tables. Providing a comfortable and
safe environment is a priority. And
players noticed – attendance is up
by 20% within the first month of
moving into the new space!