If the City of Portage could be boiled down to two main qualities, it’d be known for the community’s willingness to help one another and its willingness to have fun. That’s why the Portage Township YMCA married those traits into a single event at this year’s Total Knockout Trivia on April 13.
Emceed by Portage City Councilman Ferdinand Alvarez, the night saw 15 teams coming together for tacos, beer, and a good cause as they competed for an up to $1200 prize. Judges Wilma Vazquez, Harry Langbehn, Jr., and Melissa Deavers-Lowie oversaw this battle of wits as the Beach Brains, Krabby Patties, and Rays of Sunshine answered questions about anything from geography facts to popular company slogans.
“It's a fun event,” said President and CEO of the Portage Township YMCA Shannon Burhans. “We have a team that puts together the event every year so none of us even know what the categories are until we get here. That's always fun as we don't really know what we're in for.”
Total Knockout Trivia is the beginning of Portage Township YMCA’s annual fundraising campaign to raise money for scholarships that offer disadvantaged families and individuals an opportunity to benefit from the Y’s many programs. Besides the team entry fee, attendees were also able to participate in a 50/50 raffle and prize basket raffle.
“The Y has so many different services to offer to the community. It's more than just memberships – they have childcare, they have summer camps, they have many different options,” said Board Member and Chair of the Financial Development Committee Tricia Hall. “For a working mother or father, having that scholarship allows them to utilize the before and after school care services where they might not be able to normally afford it.”
Hall also pointed out that business sponsors like Centier Bank, Horizon Bank, and the City of Portage help to ensure that the Y is able to continue its more costly programs. Last year, the organization was able to provide over $137,000 in assistance to the Portage community, and while the monetary benefits this assistance provided were great, the health benefits left an even bigger mark.
“We do a food program where we feed kids for free five days a week, all year round,” said Burhans. “During the school year, we do it after school. The kids get a free five-component meal. Not only are we touching on food insecurity, but we really want to make sure that kids learn how to eat healthy from a young age and develop those healthy eating habits so that, as they grow older, they can continue that healthy eating and hopefully mitigate any sort of chronic disease that is caused by diet.”
One of the more visually stunning aspects of this event was the themed costumes of each team. From construction workers to beachgoers to Cubs fans, every team was competing for the coveted title of Best Costume. Owner of Center of Attention Erica Berger-Frame was out in force with the nautically dressed Krabby Patties. She was impressed by the turnout at the event, but she wasn’t the least bit surprised.
“Our community is one that always comes together for not-for-profits,” she said. “The YMCA is one of those things that is always giving back to the community. Every time you go somewhere, you see their name on top donations. They always step up to give what they can and do what they can.”
Total Knockout Trivia is only the beginning of another successful year of fundraising for the Portage Township YMCA. The organization knows how to make philanthropy fun, especially in the form of 100-question trivia competitions.
“It's a really fun time for people to get together, enjoy each other's company, and support a good cause,” said Burhans.
To learn more about the Portage Township YMCA, visit www.ymcaofportage.org.