Ruskin, Brandon Teams Win ‘Rattle the Bones’ Dominoes Tournament

TAMPA, FL – Throughout the diverse Hispanic communities in the Tampa Bay area, Dominos reigns supreme as a casual game among friends. However, seniors from across Hillsborough County showed how diverse the game can be outside of the Hispanic communities.

Teams from eight Hillsborough County senior and dining centers qualified for this year’s finals in Double 9s and Double 6s at the Town ’N Country Senior Center on Thursday, Sept. 21. When the domino tiles – also known as bones – were cleared, the following teams won:

Double 9s

• First place – Ruskin Senior Center: Sandy Fabian and Ouida Devine
• Second place – J.L. Young Nutrition Site, Tampa: Geraldine Washington and Gloria McGill

Double 6s

First place – Brandon Senior Center: Melecia Noriega and Analucia Alencastro

Second place – Ruskin Senior Center: Deidre Rathael and Ingrid McCalla

Third place – Town ’N Country Senior Center: Otonieo Nogueras and Daniel Alvarez

The winners will receive their trophies during the Hispanic Heritage Festival on Thursday, Sept. 28 at the Regent, 6437 Watson Road in Riverview.

While Hillsborough County Aging Services’ annual Rattle the Bones dominos tournament is part of Hispanic Heritage Month, diverse teams of seniors from across the county participated in the event. Before the event began, Spanish and English flowed freely between participants mingling in the Town ’N Country Senior Center, but then the participants got down to business.

Some participants, like the first-place Double 9s and second-place Double 6s teams from the Ruskin Senior Center, wore T-shirts bearing the names of their home centers.

“I enjoy playing with these ladies,” said Devine, a retired schoolteacher and member of the Ruskin squad. “It’s a challenge, but they make it fun.”

Image and video via Hillsborough County YouTube channel