Aaron Hanford: Life Master

Typifying American youth currently involved with bridge, Aaron Hanford is one of our Unit's latest Life Masters. Aaron attained his gold card during the Memorial Day regional in Champaign, playing with a pick-up partner in the knockout teams.

Aaron was born and raised in Rockford. He began playing bridge high school at the Illinois Math and Science Academy in Champaign, playing with a group of friends that … "Well, we slightly amended the rules," Aaron laughs. In fact, his first regular partner was so enthusiastic about playing with him that he gave up bridge entirely to play competitive Scrabble. But Aaron stuck it out, and took up duplicate seriously as a senior in college in Champaign in 2000 while majoring in math and linguistics there.

Aaron firmly believes that not enough is currently being done to involve young people in the game of bridge -- and that includes the efforts of young people themselves. He would like to see more and stronger programs to promote bridge education in the schools, especially efforts that could lead to competitive sanctioned games. "Perhaps a good place to begin might be with the young people we now hire as caddies at regionals," he suggests. "After all, they're already there, and most of them have already demonstrated an interest in intellectual pursuits."

Upcoming Tournaments in Unit 239

Upcoming Tournaments of Interest Outside Our Unit

2006 Tournaments:  Dec.26-30: Lake Geneva WI

2007 Tournaments:

Jan. 5-7: Bloomington IL

Feb. 2-8: District 8 STAC
Feb. 23-25: Peoria IL

Mar. 2-4: Ft. Wayne IN
Mar. 8-18: St. Louis NABC

Apr. 9-15: Gatlinburg
Apr. 23-29: Lake Geneva WI
Apr. 28: St. Louis 199er

May 22-28: Champaign IL

June 26-July 1: Des Moines IA

July 6-8: Bloomington IL
July 9-15: Chicago IL
July 19-29: Nashville NABC

Aug. 3-5: South Bend IN
Aug.13-19: St. Louis MO
Aug. 13-19: Green Bay WI
Aug. 31-Sept. 3: Skokie IL

Sept. 14-16: Peoria IL
Sept. 24-30: Ft. Wayne IN
Sept. 29: St. Louis MO 199er

Oct. 22-28: Lake Geneva WI
Oct. 29-Nov. 4: District 8 STAC

Nov. 10-11: Bloomington IL NAOP
Nov. 23-Dec. 2: San Francisco NABC

Event Winners: Aurora "Turkey Bowl," November 24-26, 2006

Friday afternoon Open Pairs: 
A1 - Alma Karas - Yangling Zhang, Batavia IL
B1 - Earle Miller, Lisle IL; John Pree, St Charles IL
C1 - Donald Pauser - Dianne Pauser, Dixon IL

Friday Compact Knockout
1 - Bob Korte - Kay Korte, Woodstock IL; Harold Legel, Crystal Lake IL; James Ryan, Janesville WI

Friday Compact Knockout Consolation
1 - Jon Schwestka, Oak Park IL; Sally Gill, Bloomingdale IL; Robert Pooley, Aurora IL; Charlotte Schmidt, Plano IL

Saturday Knockouts
Bracket I: 1 - Jack Snyder, Rockford IL; Meyer Abarbanel, Belvidere IL; Steven Sinkiawic, Roscoe IL; Kathleen Wagner, Madison WI
Bracket II: 1 - Jerzy Cygan, Wood Dale IL; Marian Krasowski, Prospect Hts IL; Lech Brzozowski -Tadeusz Szych, Chicago IL
Bracket III: 1 - Jeffrey Katz - Sheila Katz, Arlington Hts IL; J Kallenbach - V Motchanov, Adrian MI

Saturday Afternoon Open Pairs
A1/B1 - Zbigniew Muszynski, Roselle IL; Michael Omielski, Bensonville IL
C1 - Pamela Tietz - Gerald Tietz, Naperville IL

Saturday Afternoon 99er Pairs
A1 - Donna Cart - Stephen Cart, Rockford IL
B1 - Ole Birkelund - Mary Birkelund, Romeoville IL

Saturday Evening Open Pairs
A1 - John Kinst, Batavia IL; W Harris Jr, Lombard IL
B1 - Cherrolyn Woolwine, Naperville IL; Thomas Sucher, Roselle IL
C1 - Vladimir Reznik - Ken Pavlenko, Glenview IL

Saturday Evening 99er Pairs
A1 - Ole Birkelund - Mary Birkelund, Romeoville IL
B1 - Lynn Ulreich - John Ulreich, Frankfort IL

Sunday Swiss Teams
A1 - David Langer - Mark Ginsburg, Buffalo Grove IL; Mark Weisman, Glenview IL; Howard Engle, Highland Park IL
B1 - Yangling Zhang - Alma Karas, Batavia IL; Diane Clark, Elgin IL; D. Brosseau, Sleepy Hollow IL
C1 - Jon Schwestka, Oak Park IL; Sally Gill, Bloomingdale IL; Marilyn Keil, Hinsdale IL; Daniel Driggett, Glendale Hts IL

The complete list of all winners and runners-up is here.

The Changing Scene . . .

New Junior Masters: Karen Anderson, Batavia; Mrs. Lon Behr, Rockford; Sybil Brown, Rockford; Donna Cassavoy, Huntley; Karen Flood, St. Charles; Laurence Klemm, Sleepy Hollow; Pamela Krisak, St. Charles; Mrs. Malou Nelson, Green Valley AZ; James Newberry, Elburn; Loretta Oehler, Rockford; Norman Rice, Clermont FL; John Stoner, Poplar Grove; Sharon Stoner, Poplar Grove

New Club Masters: Wanda Burgard, Cherry Valley; Eugene Gordon, Aurora; Robert Herro, Rockford

New Sectional Masters: Barbara Burda, Huntley; Donna Cart, Rockford; Tom Dearing, Geneva; Elizabeth Gale, Rockford; Paul Grossenbacher, Roscoe; Robert Lightbody, Rockford; Tom Prucher, St. Charles

New Regional Masters: Paula Demlow, Sandwich; Julia Kelley, Geneva; Mary Larson, Belvidere; Douglas St. John, Rockford

New Life Masters: Robert Erwin, Rochelle

New Silver Life Masters: Darlene Simonovich