Trivia returns to support Riverside Cemetery chapel
The Riverside Cemetery Chapel this summer after overgrown landscaping was removed. A new roof will be installed by the end of the 2017-18 school year. Contributed photos
Eighth grader Lydia Staudt picks up event tickets for the Charles City Annual Trivia Night, donated by Jackson Street Press.
Eighth grade students Jordan Boyce and Maya Hruska with MaryAnn Townsend, director of the Floyd County Historical Museum, who will be sponsoring a trivia table.
By Kate Hayden, khayden@charlescitypress.com
After a successful fundraising event in 2017, this year’s eighth grade class is bringing back Charles City Annual Trivia Night to support repairs on the Riverside Cemetery Chapel.
The group is working with freshmen who kickstarted the program in 2016-17 after discovering that repairs to the Riverside Cemetery chapel could cost more than $250,000. This year’s event is scheduled for Saturday, March 3 at 7 p.m. in the Comet Gym at 1200 1st Avenue.
Teams of six people compete against other teams to answer correctly the most trivia questions in categories ranging from sports, literature, movies, community and more, with free refreshments throughout the night and an ongoing silent auction.
Businesses or groups may sponsor a table, with sponsorship levels between $150-1,000. The deadline for sponsors to be listed in the program is Feb. 20.
“Anybody from the community can come in,” eighth grade student Maya Hruska said.
Money raised at this year’s event will go to restore the chapel’s 110-year-old stained glass windows and remove lead paint from the interior, teacher Amanda Rahmiller said.
This year, students are hoping to have 200 participants join Trivia Night, and raise about $20,000 for the chapel, said eighth grade student Tino Tamayo.
“It depends on our silent auction too … We’re hoping to reach out to bigger businesses out of town for silent auction items,” eighth grade student Lydia Staudt said.
They’ve already secured four Iowa Cubs tickets, and season tickets to UNI Basketball in 2018-19.
The freshmen are continuing to explore grant applications and other fundraising options, Rahmiller added.
Last year’s inaugural event raised $9,500 with 109 participants.
That helped secure a $15,000 grant for the chapel, which will be used to install a new roof this spring, Rahmiller said.
Landscaping and pests around the chapel have already been addressed over the summer, she added.
A cement slab leading to the chapel’s basement will be replaced with pavers to draw water away from the chapel’s foundations. The chapel’s exterior will be painted in it’s original color, green.
“I went to [Trivia Night] last year, and I’m just excited to see it again, and see how it turns out,” Staudt said.
For businesses or teams interested in participating, checks can be made to Riverside Cemetery. Contact the 8th Grade Riverside Chapel Committee at ccriversidetrivia@gmail.com, or at 641-425-5132.
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