Eighth graders offer a tropical getaway with beach-themed Trivia Night

By Travis Fischer, tkfischer@charlescitypress.com

It was quiz time at the Comet Gym on Saturday, Feb. 22, as the Charles City eighth grade class hosted the seventh annual Trivia Night fundraiser.

Twenty-nine teams tested their knowledge on everything from the age of the Oreo cookie to the latitude of famous landmarks.

Every year’s Trivia Night has its own theme and this year the students decided to take their guests to the beach, converting the Comet Gym into “Quiz Cove.” Decorated with crafted palm trees and sand castles, the event featured beach-themed snacks and tropical décor to whisk people away from the Iowa winter for an evening.

“They worked really hard to make this place look fantastic,” said 8th grade teacher Amanda Rahmiller, who has overseen the Trivia Night event since its inception.

After several rounds of trivia, this year’s winning team was the Crappy Barbaras. Abbi Parcher, Katelyn Schwery, Allen Schwery, Melissa Jones, Dakotah Jones, and Hannah Chambers were the winners of the evening, taking home the trophy after a nail-biting finish in which the tie-breaking question came down to who could most accurately guess how long the Hundred Years War was. (Answer: 116 years)

Narrowly taking second place was Aim High, made up of Kurt Herbrechtsmeyer, Wendy Castillo, Carly Demro, Heidi Worrall, Izzy Worrall, and Phyllis Ruehlow.

Along with the trivia contest, guests also got the opportunity to participate in a silent auction, with a wide range of items procured by the students to bid on. Donated items came from far and wide, ranging from zoo tickets to local gift cards, and even a handmade cornhole set crafted by eighth grade students.

Funds raised during the fundraiser will once again go to support the restoration of Riverside Cemetery’s chapel, which has been an ongoing project for several years worth of eighth grade classes.

This year Rahmiller expects the restoration of the chapel to finally be complete, but assured the crowd that she is already looking for another project for future eighth grade classes to contribute to with Trivia Night.

“We’d still like to give back and the students get some amazing skills from this event, so it will continue,” said Rahmiller.