It was a little spookier than other years, but 2026 Trivia Night in Imperial on 10/30 was as competitive and fun as the last previous events.
That’s according to several participants among the 15 teams competing in the Catholic Social Services-sponsored event Oct. 30, and held in a new location at the St. Patrick Parish Hall on Broadway. Proceeds will benefit the work of St. Isidore’s Gift & Thrift in Imperial.
Six people made up each team, so there were 90 players at Trivia Night this year. All eight categories had 10 questions, each with Halloween-inspired titles such as “Code Boo,” “Planet Terror” and “Blood, Sweat and Screams.”
With a point awarded for each correct answer, teams competed for a maximum of 80 points. Each team had five "mulligans," which could be placed on the answer line the team believed could be incorrect and still receive credit for that answer.
Category topics included famous slogans, famous landmarks, geology, water, sports, famous doctors, fictional places, and Halloween trivia.
The first-place team, earning 72 points, was No Eye Deer and members Tom Sullivan, Deb Miller, Erin Konecky, Tim Konecky, Julie Chilcott and Jeanne Schneider, who won $200. They donated all of it back to CSS.
The second-place team, racking up 70 points, was the Sherlock Homies - Ashley Holscher, Marissa McDaniel, Pandy Garcia, Carl Zuege, Becca Anderson and Justin Anderson. They also donated back their $150 in winnings.
Tying for third, each with 69 points, were The Factoids and Let’s Get Quizzical. Cook Kiz finished fifth with 68.
Registration fees brought in $2,150 in the event, said Bill Sullivan, thrift store manager and Trivia Night committee member. A 50/50 split raffle raised an additional $1,113 for CSS/St. Isidore’s. Charley Colton was the raffle winner and donated back his half, $557, as well.
Beverage Barn served drinks and spirits at a cash bar and donated their $70 in tips to the cause. Registration fees brought in $2,150.
Returning as emcees for the evening were Nichole Spady of Imperial and John Soukup of Lincoln, CSS Development Officer.
Serving as judges, who determined correct or incorrect answers, were Darci Boman, Lynn Luhrs and Kelly Vitosh.
Being close to Halloween, several team members came dressed in costumes. Judged the best by the emcees was the Let’s Get Quizzical team, who were all dressed up in workout clothing. Members of that team include Scott and Maika Leibbrandt, Dale and Alex Schilke, and Kyle and Erica Sorensen. They won gift certificates to Subway.
Appetizers for the night were donated and served by St. Patrick’s Altar Society.
Sullivan said that through its store sales and special events like Trivia Night, CSS and St. Isidore’s are able to help individuals and families in need in Chase County and the surrounding area.
As an example, he said, since January, CSS and St. Isidore’s have provided almost $5,000 in rent and utility assistance to 25 families in the region it serves.
A recent situation where assistance was given involved a young, local family with prematurely born twins. The children are in an Omaha hospital, with one undergoing surgery and another on a feeding tube, he said. The family also includes a three-year-old.
“Medical bills are piling up like leaves on a windy fall day,” Sullivan said.
A caseworker at the Omaha hospital, involved with the family, found Catholic Social Services/St. Isidore’s in a search for assistance programs. The young father made contact with St. Isidore’s and the process was begun to help them out, Sullivan added.
There are many other stories like that one where CCS/St. Isidore’s have aided local families in need, he added.
St. Isidore Gift & Thrift operates at 527 Broadway in Imperial, and is open Wednesdays from 3 to 7 p.m., and Thursdays and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The store accepts donated household and kitchen pieces, furniture, books, toys, clothing and seasonal items in good condition during its regular business hours.
