Rotary’s regular spring trivia fundraiser (the 20th biannual event) scheduled for March 2020, was canceled by the COVID shut-down. The club was very excited to finally be able to hold Trivia Night No. 20 at the beautiful Saranac Waterfront Lodge in the western part of the town of North Elba, attended by five teams of eight people each.

The teams were the Literacy Bombers, the Lake Placid Educational Opportunity Fund’s “Ed Oppers,” the Irish Mafia, Wilmington’s Indian Rockers and intrepid newcomers “8 Heads Are Better Than 1.” Also participating was the “ghost team” of Rotarians who could not attend but wanted to be a part of the fun.

In total, the event raised $1,145 for local literacy projects.

Rotary Trivia Night’s usual emcee, Sean Donovan, was under the weather and could not lead as he has since our first event in October 2010, so I took up the mic and led the evening. It was my first such emcee experience.

“Martha did a masterful job,” said event organizer Mary Liz Alexander.

I look forward to Sean emceeing again next time!

Heather Perkins and Tracey Coolidge handled registration. Alexander and Don Woodlief examined vaccination certificates. Bridget McKillip kept a tally of the teams’ scores and presided over the announcement of the winning teams.

Joe and Ellie McAvoy were runners for the evening. Behind-the-scenes, Alexander, Donovan, Krista Frei and I had prepared the 100 trivia questions back in 2019 and 2020.

“Developing questions for this trivia event rivals getting a bill passed into law,” Donovan said.

First place went to the veteran team Irish Mafia that has participated in Rotary Trivia Nights since the beginning.

“It was so great to get everyone back together in person,” Irish Mafia player Tricia Preston said. “It’s a wonderful event for a great cause. The Irish Mafia was there to play in memory of our fearless leader and originator Mary Kelley. Everyone had a wonderful time, and I can’t wait for the next Rotary Trivia Night!”

Second place was very close and went to the Literacy Bombers, another veteran team that has played since 2011.

“It was a pleasure to gather once again to play Trivia sponsored by the Lake Placid Rotary Club,” Literacy Bombers player Mary Johnson said. “And especially gratifying that the event benefited the newly established Mary Kelley Book Nook at the LPES Library. A wonderful tribute to our friend and colleague.”

Ed Oppers and Indian Rockers tied for third place. The crowd enjoyed the suspense of two tough tie-breaking questions, which both teams correctly answered each time. The tie finally had to be broken with a coin toss that the Ed Oppers won. The “8 Heads Are Better Than 1” team received a consolation prize of a round of soft drinks on Rotary.

Many door prizes were handed out thanks to the generosity of Lake Placid Rotarians donating gift cards or looking in their closets for suitable pre-owned gifts to pass on along. A favorite prize was a set of Seinfeld drinking glasses.

The Rotary Club of Lake Placid will be hosting a few virtual Trivia Nights this winter. Watch for dates and times. The club is also planning to host another in person event in the spring of 2022.

(Martha Pritchard Spear is a member of the Lake Placid Rotary Club.)