By Chris Hagan
Review Staff Writer
Pulling into the parking lot at the Knights of Columbus Hall on Saturday was similar to battling traffic and crowds during a Christmas rush..
Inside was a sea of tables with every seat taken and a food line circled half the room.
So what would cause such a buzz-worthy event?
Blessings in a Backpack-Lake Orion hosted their 3rd Annual Trivia Night to a sold-out crowd of more than 300 people.?
Blessings in a Backpack is aimed at raising money to provide food for those children in the community during the times they’re not at school. The non-profit group sends food home in back packs that feed them and their families. According to the national organization, it takes just $100 to provide a backpack and food to one child each weekend for an entire school year.
Thirty-one teams of 10 to 12 people contributed to the busiest Trivia Night since they started the event in 2014.
‘We were overwhelmed with the excitement around the event and everyone’s generosity,? steering committee chair Kellie McDonald said.?’Donations are still coming in but last year we raised $20,000 and it looks like we may have exceeded that amount this year.?
Supervisor Chris Barnett and Fox 2 News anchor Deena Centofanti were the master of ceremonies through the 10 rounds of trivia and raffle drawings.
For those unfamiliar with the rules of trivia, each team is asked a series of questions ranging from geography, entertainment, history, art and several others. The team is not allowed to use their phones to look up answers and if they’re caught, they’re disqualified for that question.
Though deputy county executive Matt Gibb, who was in attendance, suggested a new way to handle that situation that would benefit the program. If a person was caught using their phone, they had to donate $20 to Blessing in a Backpack. Several business owners donated hundreds while several anonymous donors gave $1,000.
Those interested in getting involved with Blessings in a Backpack can visit blessingsinabackpacklakeorion.org.
Thank-yous
Brad Jacobson, Michigan House of Representatives
Matt Gibb, Deputy County Executive
Joe Kent, Candidate for 46th House of Representatives 2016.
Mat Dunaskiss
Christian Mills, Owner: Legacy Family Center, Oxford
And to: Dave and Angela Aycock, Pam and Brian Omillian, Andy and Janice Zale, Ryan and Jamie Hervey, Wendy and Shawn Machak and Scott and Jen Taylor, and Janet and Gordon Wolverton