On Friday, Portage Township YMCA hosted its Total Knockout Trivia Night. Many of the town’s community members duked it out in trivia while wearing handmade costumes. The night was full of friendly banter, drinks, food, and fun.
This is the second Trivia Night held by the Portage Township YMCA. They committed to making it a semi-annual event after a strong positive reaction to the first trivia event. 23 teams composed of nearly 200 people competed for fun, honor, and prizes. Amber Alexander, CEO of the Portage Township YMCA branch, took part in the event as well.
“I think people are really excited because trivia is really fun,” said Alexander. “Everybody likes useless knowledge and we have a lot of it floating around our heads these days. And it’s just a really nice way to come out, have fun with friends and relax.”
The largest attention grabber that night were the different costumes the teams wore. Every team had their own unique theme. There were ‘80s styled clothes, sports jerseys, and even sombreros.
“The costumes are outrageous,” said Jan Zurek, Portage Y’s Fund Development Director. “The last time we did this, people blew us away with their theme of a team. I think it builds the team morale, injects fun into the atmosphere and brings people together.”
All kinds of community members and organizations came by to have fun and test their knowledge. Sitting with a full table was the Portage Fire Department, eager to test out their team's knowledge against the other competitors.
“We’re having a lot of fun, it’s a good time,” said Scott Klein, a firefighter representing his unit. “We were not told we were supposed to be in costume. We missed that detail. But we knew we had to be matching. We could’ve come in full gear and we’d have won the costume contest instantly!”
The turnout from the event did more than provide a fun night out for the attendees. The YMCA is a major community hub in Portage, and a large part of its mission is to help strengthen and give back to its local supporters. Events like the Trivia Night help foster community development and morale.
“It provides an event that is fun for adults, so there is something to do. That’s first,” said Zurek. “All of the money that is raised tonight, fuels the Portage YMCA’s mission, which is to put Christian principles into practice that help build a healthy spirit, mind, and body for all. That’s for everybody in the community, whether they can afford our programs or not.”
The Portage YMCA is always looking for new members and supporters. To learn more about the YMCA and its mission, visit http://www.ymcaofportage.org/.