The Surge
A club built only for American mahjong opens in Sarasota
An announcement dated September 2 says the club opened that evening, calls itself the first dedicated mahjong social club in its two counties, and sets a record attempt for January.
An announcement dated September 2 says Mahj Girl Society held its grand opening that evening at 5:00 p.m., hosted by Georgie's Garden Cafe at UTC, 229 N. Cattlemen Road in Sarasota, Florida. The release describes it as a Sarasota and Manatee social club built around the game, culture and community of American mahjong, and calls it the first dedicated mahjong social club in that area.
Per the release, the club is open Wednesday through Sunday and runs open play, private and group lessons, tournaments, themed events and creative workshops that include decorating tiles and embellishing tile bags. It says memberships and a la carte experiences are both available, and it publishes no prices. The founder is named as Sasha Stapleton of Lakewood Ranch.
The announcement also carries an ambition rather than a date on a calendar. It says the club aims to bring more than 2,500 players together for a Guinness World Record attempt in January, timed to the founder's fortieth birthday, while raising money for local charities. No venue is named for it. That figure is the club's own stated goal, and OOTT has not verified it independently.
Everything here comes from the club's own announcement. OOTT is not affiliated with it and does not sell tiles or sets.