Dannevirke club to host charity bridge tournament

Dannevirke husband and wife team Harold and Margaret Orsborn came up trumps in a worldwide bridge tournament on the Gold Coast in Australia recently.

Dannevirke Bridge Club is to host one of its biggest bridge tournaments tomorrow.

The event is the Marlene Paewai Charity Event and honours a long-term member of the club as well as raising money for the Cancer Society.

Bridge club president Margaret Orsborn said Marlene made a huge contribution to bridge, not only in Dannevirke.

"She made a big impact on a national level, particularly in regards to the etiquette of the game."

For the first time four members of Marlene's family will be taking part in the tournament, sons Stephen and Brian will be taking part and will be joined by their sons Rakai and Amokura.

Stephen said he had tried to take part in the tournament every year and this year persuaded the others, whom he has been teaching, to take part.

Margaret said it is one the biggest tournaments she has been involved in in her 30-odd years of playing bridge.

The tournament is a popular one with around 50 players taking part, from Dannevirke, Waipukurau and Palmerston North.

In another first for the club there will be six members of the Orsborn family taking part. Margaret and husband Harold will be joined by Timothy, Megan, Emily and Paul.

Margaret said the club had been well supported by local business with sponsorship for prizes.

"Normally at a tournament there is a monetary prize for first, second and third. But we have around 40 prizes to give out."

Cancer Society funds will be further boosted by money raised from raffles.

Dannevirke Cancer Support Group members will be providing sandwiches for afternoon tea.

The club has kept up with technology changes in bridges and for the last three months has been using a dealing machine which dramatically speeds up the time it takes to deal a hand of cards. It will also be using a computer for scoring games.

The tournament will be held in the bridge club rooms on High St, starting at 2pm.