Perfect 29 sought at cribbage tournament

A cribbage tournament was held Saturday at the Timothy Eaton Garden's centre.
The large crowd pleased Farris Baba, the organizer of the tournament.
"There are 92 people here participating today, so it's a good crowd. We normally only get about 16 or 17 players, so I'm happy with the turnout," said Baba. "It's nice to see them all here.
"We have a tournament once a month and we alternate between playing cribbage and whist."
The entry fee was $10 and included 12 games in total, six in the morning before lunch and six in the afternoon. Lunch was included in the entry fee. Monetary prizes were awarded to first, second and third, as usual, but due to the large crowd, a fourth place prize was also awarded.
"I organized this tournament with the help of lots of volunteers. It can't be done without the volunteers," said Baba.
Asked why he enjoys participating, Baba said: "You meet a lot of good friends. It's a good outing and you meet different people each time you play. It's a really fun day."
Judy England had similar reasons for playing.
"It passes the time and enables sociability. It also keeps your mind going," she said.
Doreen Rogers said she likes meeting people. "It gives me a reason to get out and be sociable with others," she said.
The event occurs regularly and is a fundraiser for the seniors' centre. The funds raised help to keep the building running and pay for utilities.
"It costs a lot of money to keep the building going. It takes a lot of electricity and we've got some people we have to pay, so we need to go out and get some funds," said Baba.
"The tournament provides an activity for seniors and we get to meet people. It's fun and it helps with the cost as well."
Tournament winners were Nancy Ripley and Lila Anderson, first; Steve Adamache and Ray Blatchford, second; Louise Van Koughnett and Natalie Dyok, third; and Irene Duzan and Dorothy Andrews, fourth.

Danica Kindrachuk can be reached at 691-1255.