By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
Few people are bonafide geniuses. Sometimes it’s good enough to just be a whiz with superfluous information.
Here’s a quick test to see where you stand with trivial trivia …
- What was the name of cowboy star Roy Rogers’ palomino horse? This one’s a little tougher. What’s the name of the horse used by his wife, Dale Evans?
- Dendrophobia is the fear of what?
- How many people have walked on the moon?
- What three-word parting catchphrase is engraved on voice actor Mel Blanc’s gravestone?
- What animal has the fastest metabolism
- What are the only two countries in South America that do not border Brazil?
- Who was the first man to appear on the cover of Playboy magazine?
Don’t feel bad if you didn’t know the answers. There will be many more at the eighth annual “Trivia Night” to raise money for the Bowling Green Schools Foundation.
Teams of eight people will once again compete on March 30 to be named local trivia kings. Because the event has outgrown its former location, this year’s event will be held at the Junior Fair Building on the Wood County Fairgrounds. Doors open at 7 p.m., with the trivia questions starting at 7:30 p.m.
“We’re trying to grow the event, trying to expand it,” said Drew Headley, one of the organizers – and the guy who is looking up all the trivia questions again this year.
Don’t worry, you don’t need to be a brainiac to be on a team. But it does help to have a grasp of useless knowledge, Headley said.
“I try to make them challenging,” he said of the questions.
There were 25 teams last year.
“We packed it,” Headley said. So the new location will allow for more to join in. “We’ve got room for more.”
The trivia contest will follow categories similar to those in the Trivial Pursuit board game – geography, science and technology, sports, music and literature.
“A general knowledge of many topics is good,” Headley said.
“It’s very competitive. People really get into it,” he said. “There may be a little trash talk between teams – but it’s all in fun.”
Winners of each round will be able to select a specific teacher or educational group to be given a couple hundred dollars. But the big goal is to raise about $15,000 again for classroom grants and student scholarships.
Last year the fundraiser paid $10 for each student attending fifth grade camp, and helped pay for the 1BookBG books.
The money raised at Trivia Night has been used for teacher mini-grants for items such as special art projects, COSI on Wheels visits to school, math games to go with curriculum, and living history demonstrations, according to Paul Reinhart, president of the school foundation and fifth grade teacher at Conneaut Elementary.
Participation requires a $50 donation per person. The event will offer Pizza Pub 516 pizza and other items, plus desserts, beer, wine, pop and water.
Businesses and organizations are also being sought to sponsor the event.
“We’re actively recruiting trivia round sponsors,” which will be acknowledged during the event, Reinhart said.
The school foundation used to hold “tasteful affairs,” such as elegant dinners in local homes. But then the raucous trivia nights were tried – and stuck.
“It’s a loud and boisterous evening,” Reinhart said “It’s a great time.”
The trivia night is “friendly competition,” but there are rules such as no using a smartphone to get answers. Team members, however, are allowed to huddle and discuss the questions.
Anyone wanting more information can contact Drew Headley at 419-601-2082, or headleydrew@gmail.com. Team registrations can be emailed to the above address or mailed to 1144 Lyn Road, Bowling Green, 43402, Attn. Drew Headley. Checks should be made out to the Bowling Green Schools Foundation. Participants are asked to RSVP by March 23.
In case you’re curious, the answers to the trivia questions at the top are:
- Trigger and Buttermilk
- Trees
- 12
- “That’s all folks”
- Hummingbird
- Ecuador and Chile
- Peter Sellers
