Project: LEARN Executive Director Karla Robinson thanked everyone for attending and supporting the work of the organization. She emphasized how much they were changing lives in Medina County by helping adults improve their learning skills. Just last year alone, the free-of-charge program assisted more than 165 students with reading, math, English as a second language, and the GED test.

Rich Bidinger, Project: LEARN Board President, also extended a welcome to everyone and wished all the teams good luck.

Following a buffet dinner for the more than 200 attendees, the participating teams vying for the title of Best Trivia Team in Medina County got serious about trying to win the title from last year's reigning champions, the Brunswick Education Association Team #1.

Several teams came up with clever names, such as The Happy Bookers, Off the Record, Dewey, Cheatem and Howe, Tequila Mockingbird, and The Honeycombs. However, emerging victorious was the Brunswick Education Association Team #2 made up of Joe Maichrye, Jeff Neuman, Colin Smith, Brenda Schaefer, Mike Sponseller, Sarah Salvatore, Katie Porter, and J.C. Mizener.

Ironically, they took the title of Best Trivia Team in Medina County from last year's reigning champions, their sister team, the Brunswick Education Association Team #1, by earning an impressive 47 out of 48 possible points.

In second place, with 45 out of 48 points, was the Medina Sunrise Rotary team, and tying for third were the teams of The Happy Bookers, a team of Wadsworth BookShelf volunteers and their friends, and BookShelf Friends and Staff, another team of BookShelf volunteers and staff from Medina and Wadsworth; each of these teams had 44 out of 48 points correct.

The winners' trophies this year were one-of-a-kind designs, carved books, produced by Antiquarian artisan Eric Schultz.

"Gurus" were available, and, at times, assisted teams with questions in their fields of expertise. Gurus and their categories were: Chef Adam Smith, "Unusual Ingredients;" Professor Dale Laux, "Get a Clue;" Retired Judge James Kimbler, "Famous Supreme Court Cases;" Author Martin Gitlin, "Sports History Moments;" Anglophile/Librarian Carmen Croghan, "It Came From Great Britain;" Gazette Editor Larry Pantages, "Current Events;" Kitten Krazy Inc. Founder/Executive Director Wendy Mirrotto, "Kittens and Cats;" and Library Science graduate student Hannah Krumheuer, "Hooked on Classics."

Guests had the opportunity to win prize packages, including items from local sports teams, restaurants, and vendors, along with a dinner for eight, prepared in the home of the winner by Chef Adam Smith. They could bid on baskets, and enter a wine pull. Stefan Rakic won $75 in the 50/50 raffle and donated back $35 to Project: LEARN. Everyone received a coupon for a free book from any of the three BookShelf bookstores.

The planning committee and volunteers who orchestrated the event were Diane Shreve, Jill Clouse, Sandra Brown, Gina Sorgi, John Bailey, Jim Cormany, Betsy Hiller, Joanne Johnson, Hannah Krumheuer, Casey Kuhaja, Kathy Mesick, Marilyn Stano, Dave Arbogast, Sharon Hildebrand, and Cindi White.

Corporate and organization sponsors were The Westfield Group, The Post Newspapers, Medina Sunrise Rotary, Antiquation, Buehler's Fresh Foods, and Blair Rubber Company. With the generous support of the community, the event raised more than $6,500.

Project: LEARN is "a nonprofit organization that enhances lives and strengthens communities by helping adults improve fundamental skills in reading, problem-solving and the English language." For further information, call 330-723-1314.