The Georgina Falt Memorial Music Trivia Tournament surpassed the $100,000 mark in total amount raised since inception in 2013 for the Alzheimer Society of BC Saturday at the Duncan Curling Club.
Organized by Chemainus Valley Courier editor Don Bodger and wife Theresa, this year’s tournament brought record-breaking proceeds of $18,499.50 and pushed the grand total to $107,847. The largest amount previously raised in a single year was $15,293 in 2018 with 18 teams.
“We are grateful for all the community support we have received over the years,” said Theresa. “Businesses around the Chemainus and Cowichan Valleys and beyond have been amazing in donating items for raffle prizes and silent auctions, but especially this year as we reached the milestone $100,000 overall total.”
Laura Siberry, the senior development officer, philanthropy, for the Alzheimer Society of BC at the Greater Victoria Resource Centre, attended the event to speak about the amazing contributions the event has generated. She also presented the Bodgers with a special plaque in commemoration of the occasion.
A team of eight came all the way from Ontario specifically to be part of the tournament. Others from the Lower Mainland and Okanagan joined a large contingent of people from all over the Island.
Teams of eight were tasked with identifying song titles and artists plus solving puzzles and answering trivia questions as part of the game portion of the proceedings. There was also a remarkable selection of items available in the draw prizes and silent auction from the numerous community donations.
The Potluckers team from Nanaimo comprised of John Drope, Rory Guenard, Colette Dame, Mauren Pietrzykowski, Genevieve Pietrzykowski, Andrew Paugh, David Berkley and Darren Geddes successfully defended its tournament title, fending off a late charge by the runner-up Southern Ontario Braintrust to win by 95 points.
Each team received special individual ‘trophies.’ The winners had LPs mounted on wood and the runners-up had 45s.
Curling club personnel has been tremendous in making sure every need is met in order to stage the tournament.
A total of 15 teams participated this year, down from the peak of 18 in 2018. There’s always a chance for newcomers to participate or former players to return. The event is advertised at the start of each year once a date in September is determined.
One of the highlights this year was a live auction conducted by Cam Drew. Items donated by Frank Ludwig, the keyboardist from the band Trooper during its heyday, including a bobble head doll, drew some feverish bidding. Ludwig was a student at Chemainus Secondary School before gaining fame with Trooper.
The Bodgers called on a large number of volunteers to help the event run smoothly, both on the fundraising side and with the music portion of the tournament.
