ABILENE, KANSAS - Calling all bridge players! The first Dwight D. Eisenhower Bridge Benefit will be July 25-26 at the Eisenhower Presidential Library Courtyard, 200 Southeast Fourth Street, Abilene, Kan. The benefit, sponsored by the Abilene American Contract Bridge League and the Eisenhower Foundation, includes a social evening the night before the charity game that will raise funds for the Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum, and Boyhood Home.
Bridge players of all skill levels are invited to learn the basics of playing duplicate bridge at the Friday evening social from 6:30-9 p.m. This free event will also feature a short presentation on the history of Eisenhower's interest in the game and light refreshments. The charity game will be played from 1-5 p.m. on Saturday. The registration fee is $10. Those interested in attending either event are encouraged to pre-register before July 18 by emailing
ikeed@eisenhowerfoundation.net or by phoning 785.263.6791.
"President Eisenhower played so much bridge, he earned the unofficial title of 'Bridge Player in Chief'," says Emily Miller, Ike EDucator with the Eisenhower Foundation. "Members of the Abilene American Contract Bridge League (ACBL) Club had the great idea to hold an annual bridge game to benefit the Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum and Boyhood Home since bridge was one of Ike's favorite pastimes. The Eisenhower Foundation continues to strengthen existing partnerships and cultivate relationships with new community groups, and the Bridge Benefit grew out of our new partnership with the ACBL Club."
According to Miller, Eisenhower learned to play bridge in 1913 while attending West Point and quickly became devoted to the game. She says that while stationed in the Philippines he played regularly with President Manuel Quezon, squeezed in a few games to relieve the incredible stress while planning Operation Overlord in the weeks prior to D-Day, played nearly every afternoon with his Manhattan bridge club while president of Columbia University, and regularly held games at the White House while President.
"Programs and exhibits at the Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum, and Boyhood Home are fully supported by the Eisenhower Foundation and public events such as the Bridge Benefit help the Foundation raise funds for future programs and exhibits that promote and preserve Eisenhower's legacy for future generations," Miller says. The Foundation's mission is to honor and champion the relevance today of the life and leadership of Dwight D. Eisenhower through compelling programs and events that celebrate his legacy.
