Main Street seeking teams for upcoming fundraiser

Get ready to flex your mental muscles and have a blast at the 8th annual Big Brain Trivia Night, Sept. 23, at the OSUIT State Room.

There are 16 teams already locked in for this annual Okmulgee Main Street fundraiser, but there are still a few spots left for anyone craving a trivia showdown that’s the stuff of legends, according to Hayden Sharp, who is the chair of the event.

With Chris Azbell as the emcee, this year’s event is sure to be a good time, filled with brain-twisting questions, plenty of laughs, and a dash of friendly, possibly intense competition.

Big Brain Trivia is also an equal celebrationist meaning they aren’t just celebrating the smarties – there’s even a trophy up for grabs for the “biggest loser,” because why not keep things fun and light-hearted?

But the clock is ticking, and your last chance to join the trivia extravaganza is Monday, Sept. 16.

Okmulgee Main Street Director Heather Sumner stated they are still accepting auction items, which is a perfect opportunity for area small businesses to get involved.

Big Brain Trivia Night has a delightful backstory too – it all started when Okmulgee Main Street had a blast at a similar event in Claremore.

They got the scoop on their trivia secrets, brought the idea back to Okmulgee, put their own spin on it, and voilà, it became Big Brain Trivia.

The whole community’s been having a blast ever since, and you’re invited to join in the fun!

— What to Expect the Night of the Event The Big Brain Trivia Night is being held at OSUIT’s State Room. Doors will open at 5 p.m. There will be one hour to decorate tables, socialize, bid on the silent auction items and enjoy the bar and heavy hors d’oeuvres. Participants should have their entire team at the event and be ready to begin no later than 5:45 p.m. If team members are late, they will be asked to wait in the lobby until that round is complete and answer sheets are turned into the runners.

‘Brainiacs’ will be seated and compete as a team. Teams are limited to no more than eight people, but if you have fewer people it is not a problem, according to Sharp. There will be five rounds of questions with approximately 10 questions per round. Paper and pencil will be provided and it is recommended that one team member as a “scribe.”

The host will read the question and it will be shown overhead, then teams will have time to write the answer on their answer sheet. However, it is suggested that the scribe write down each question.

At the end of the round, there will be time to reconsider answers or answer any questions that were not answered during the round. Answer sheets will be picked up and scored at the end of each round. The correct answers will be given after all answer sheets are gathered. At no point will team answers be read aloud or shared with other competitors. Team standings will be posted at the end of each round.

During the competition, electronic devices are strictly prohibited and cheaters will be dealt with severely (the team will be disqualified)!

The winner of this portion of the competition will be presented the traveling Big Brain Trivia trophy at the end of the evening.

Teams are encouraged to decorate their table, as an award will be given out at the end of the night. The table decoration winner will be selected by a vote of those in attendance. Participants in this part of the competition should bring a decorated “ballot box” that matches the theme of your table and has an opening in the top for voters to deposit ballots. Although the competition will be aboveboard with no cheating allowed, this part of the competition offers the opportunity to run a “down and dirty” campaign.

“You may bribe other tables to vote for you or you may purchase votes ($1 each) by depositing checks or cash in the ballot box of the team of your choice,” the rules state. “You may solicit “campaign contributions” (sponsorships in advance and bring those donations with you the night of the event.”

There will be complimentary appetizers and beverages (tea, water and coffee) available throughout the evening. There will also be a cash bar (wine and beer sponsored by Tavern 56).

Sharp also added that during the evening, there will be tickets for a 50/50 raffle. Tickets are $1 each and at the end of the evening, “we will draw a winning ticket and award them 50 percent of all the money raised from the raffle tickets.”

The Big Brain Trivia night will include a silent/vocal auction. There are a variety of items. Please bring your checkbooks and/ or credit cards. You will want to shop!

“It is impossible to set a time that the event will end,” Sharp said, “but I anticipate that we will be finished by 10 p.m.

This fundraiser promises to be a fun evening for all.

For those of you who suffer from “test anxiety,” relax. This is not a test. And unlike any test I’ve ever taken, you will have seven fellow brains helping you out.”

A big thanks goes out to the community for being a part of this event and for supporting the Okmulgee Main Street program.

“Get ready to rumble!”