Third Annual Spark! Fund Auction and Charity Event
Support the ACBLEF - SPARK! Fund and Kibitz with Bridge Legends!
This week only, your donations to the ACBLEF - SPARK! Fund will grant you exclusive access to kibitz Bronia and Barry Rigal in a special SPARK! Celebrity Event webinar. Don’t miss this chance to interact with bridge Hall of Famers and renowned players, including Larry Cohen, Debbie & Michael Rosenberg, Bob Hamman, Ralph Katz, David Berkowitz, and Adam and Zach Grossack, among many others!
Your support is crucial in helping us continue our mission to promote and educate future generations about the wonderful game of bridge.
What To Expect
From June 1 to July 7, place bids in our online auction to take lessons or play in online games with your favorite bridge pros. Auction winners can then participate in our live event or select their lesson or game for a time that best fits their schedule.
There are three ways you can participate:
- On Monday, July 15 at 7 p.m. EDT, don’t miss our interactive, online celebrity event for a chance to play with and learn from world-class bridge stars. Play with a star player, Hall of Famers or a friend or kibitz a live exhibition game. This includes an exclusive online after-party to mingle with the experts!
- Play with a star in an online game of your choice. Learn from your bridge heroes and arrange a session according to your schedule!
- Donate directly or buy for a friend. Make a direct donation or purchase an auction item as a special gift for a friend.
What Spark! Supports
Proceeds from this charity fund a range of educational and competitive opportunities for young bridge players, ages 30 and under, including five major programs in the coming year:
- Travel support for 100+ players attending the USA Bridge Camp + Championships in Las Vegas this December.
- Travel support for 100+ college students attending the annual North American Collegiate Bridge Bowl in Toronto this July.
- "Junior Nights" at every North American Bridge Championships for juniors from all over the world who attend the tournament.
- Travel support for the USA student team to compete in the FISU University Championships in June.
- Travel support for 20+ North American juniors to compete in the World Youth Transnationals in Poland this July.
All travel stipends have a bridge community service requirement of 10-15 hours per stipend (though most players complete much more). We are making sure all the juniors who get funding to play are giving back to the community and dedicated to promoting bridge in their lives. Most help by running their school bridge clubs and teaching bridge to many new players. There are countless examples of young bridge players (e.g., Nathan Gong, Michael Xu, Katie Sullivan) who have brought dozens of new players into the game.
First, all programs are application-based, and well-off families are less likely to apply. First, all programs are application-based, and well-off families are unlikely to apply. Second, the base application offers a partial stipend ranging from 30-50% of trip costs, helping make a youth bridge event more attractive versus the many other activities they could do. Then we allow for additional applications for need-based aid.
Why Give
By supporting the ACBL Education Foundation and the Spark! fund, you make it possible for young players to focus on playing and growing their skills in bridge. Your generosity increases support for programs reaching into schools to engage youth in bridge through teaching and play.
Like competing in sports or learning an instrument, playing in bridge tournaments provides opportunities for young players to hone their skills. As they grow, they’re incentivized to continue competing among peers. However, because youth bridge tournaments are rare and limited on the local level, these young players are required to travel across North America and around the world.
Last year, contributions to Spark! led to many successes, including:
- Supporting six women to travel to the Netherlands and represent the U.S. in the Junior World Championships.
- Providing textbooks and learning materials for bridge camps and courses.
- Awarding travel packages to teams and pairs for the Collegiate Bridge Bowl and bestowing university scholarships to the top winners.
Many young players who’ve benefited from our support in the past have progressed to compete in adulthood, and they have served as role models to younger peers, encouraging them to stick to the game. Those who have not built a profession around bridge have applied similar critical thinking skills they’ve obtained from playing bridge to the successful careers they have today.
FAQ's
Get more information on auction information, bidding, and post auction questions.