Literacy Bee pits trivia teams against each other for fundraiser
CHICO >> What do the two Ms stand for in M&M candy? On what part of your body would you find a tragus? Hundreds of trivia questions like these will be posed to the teams competing in the 14th annual Trivia Bee for Literacy.
The annual event, which has been on hiatus since 2020 because of the pandemic, is back and scheduled for Oct. 14 in the Big Room at Sierra Nevada Brewery, 1075 E. 20th St. in Chico. The bee raises funds for the Butte County Library Literacy Services.
These services support adults and children in Butte County working to improve their reading and writing skills. Tickets for the event, which starts at 6 p.m., are available online at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/399735298037. No tickets will be sold at the door.
“It’s such a fun event. We’re rebuilding it since the last one we did was in 2019. We’ve been missing everyone and are eager to bring everyone back together again for this local tradition. The crowd, which usually averages about 300 people, is an amazing representation of all the different kinds of people from the different communities in Butte County all coming together supporting everyone’s right to read,” said Heather Tovey, library literacy manager.
Three person teams with names like “The Practologists,” “Three Babies and No Men” and “Symphonic Super Heroes,” compete in three rounds until only one team is “left standing.” There are still spaces open for teams to enter in this year’s competition. To enter the bee call 530-5525650. The cost per team is $300. Awards go to the top three teams but only the winners get “bragging rights.”
“The rounds get harder as the evening progresses and the excitement builds, especially since the audience gets to play along. There are notepads and pencils on each table so people can write down their answers. It’s not a passive evening. It’s very engaging,” said Tovey.
In addition to playing along, attendees get to enjoy appetizers and desserts throughout the evening. There is also a raffle with prizes donated by local businesses.
The trivia bee questions are made up by librarians and fall into various subject categories including: movies, history, popular and classic literature, science, music, geography and “totally useless facts,” said Tovey.
In 2019 the Trivia Bee garnered approximately $15,000 to support the countywide literacy program. These funds are used for the Library Literacy Program’s learning materials, resources and support for adults and children in the community “working so hard to improve their basic reading and writing skills,” Tovey said.
“The best part of the evening, the most important part really, is the honoring of literacy students who have been in our program and are willing to share their stories. We get to cheer them on and congratulate them on their efforts and success. That’s the highlight of the evening. These people are really the champions,” said Tovey.
According to research, there are approximately 18,000 Butte County adults who struggle with reading and writing, said Tovey, who added, “we suspect that is a low count, that the number is actually higher.”
“The Trivia Bee goes beyond the boundaries of raising money. It promotes awareness and fights the stigma that goes along with not being able to read and write. It allows us to shout from the rooftops what we believe: Everyone has the right to read,” said Tovey.
Through the library’s Literacy Services adult reading program, adults interested in improving their basic literacy and English as a second language skills are matched one-on-one with trained volunteer tutors from the community. Instructions are goal-directed and learner-centered. Pairs typically meet in their local library once or twice a week for an hour to an hour and a half each meeting.
Before the pandemic hit, there were approximately 60 trained volunteer tutors in the county providing more than 1,000 hours of instruction to adult learners. There are currently 21 tutors. During the COVID shutdown they provided 800 hours of instruction.
“It’s like we’re beginning again, getting volunteers and getting the word out to adults who may be in need of library literacy services. During COVID we had learners and tutors who met over the phone. Talk about ambitious and courageous, not giving up on your learning. It was quite inspiring,” said Tovey.
The Library Literacy Program also includes the 36-foot custom Family Literacy Coach. This library on wheels, travels throughout the county bringing early literacy programs to children under 5 and their families who may not otherwise have access to the library because of geographic, economic or language barriers. Visitors to the Family Literacy Coach enjoy a story time and a brand new book for their home library. Through this program 3,000 to 5,000 books are given to families to build their home libraries every year.