It's crazy to think about how a community can come together. How an empty space (our church, The Summit to be exact), can be filled by people that have given generously and are linking arms together to the trumpets of a little girl and her kindness. But, that's exactly what happens on #Keirastrong Forever Trivia Night. Volunteers take an empty room and turn it into a gathering space, filling it with tables and decorations; a hallway fills with raffle baskets and auction items, and then a building begins to overflow with people full of love.
Robin and I have talked about Trivia Night gobs and it always comes back to this: the people in this room have a personal connection to Keira and her family. Many of them were not only a part of her cancer journey, they knew her before it began. Which is why this Trivia Night is not only important to the foundation, but to the Stouts. While the major goal for the foundation is to help raise money to help families of kids with cancer with their mortgage payments, it is about so much more. For Robin and Dave, it's about coming together to love and remember Keira.
When Robin and I spoke ahead of time about pictures, she wanted to remember all the fun that happens at trivia, and there was no disappointment there! Brian is always an amazing host - it's like he has done this before. (Oh wait, he has; make sure to check him out at Trivia Riot!) I'd like to tell you that I think his experience is what makes him fantastic at creating a killer Trivia Night, but I think it's more. Something about the iconic tv shows, movies, and music he picks make the night pretty awesome.
Of course, there's more to making trivia fun than just a great host. Your people have to be into it too - and this crowd is! They sing, they dance, they celebrate, they give accolades - they know how to do it right!
It's not just fun and games though. I mean, there is fun AND games - like mock Mouse Races (see kids in mouse ears) instead of a heads or tails to announce that #Keirastrong Forever will be having Mouse Races in the spring. But the night also has it's moments of pause - like auctioning off a t-shirt quilt handmade by Keira's Mimi, using one of Keira's own shirts in the blend. That quilt was pretty fantastic, as was Mr. Tom being the winning bidder to have this blanket at the fire house where Keira was an honorary fire fighter. Tom will be the first to let you know that Keira was one of them, so it seems fitting that this piece has landed there.
The evening rounded off with some more celebrating, a room full of singing and laughing, and some final number crunching when the results came in.
Until next time,