Who is Judson University?
A team of tough competitors from Judson University proved once again Saturday that the Elgin school is a force to be reckoned with.
The team, sponsored by the Altrusa International Club of Elgin, won the 11th Literacy Connection Trivia Bee, held Saturday in Elgin's Grand Victoria Casino. It was the sixth time Judson had claimed top honors at the annual fundraiser.
Judson beat off challenges from Clee Engineering of Elgin, which finished third, and second-place finisher Red Badgers of Courage -- University of Wisconsin graduates, who finished just one point below Judson's total.
"This was a very hard year," said Lynn Hammerlund, a Judson librarian and member of the university's team. "We needed every member on this team. We all pulled out an answer."
The Trivia Bee is the Literacy Connection's largest annual fundraiser. The Elgin-based service organization raises about $15,000 with the event each year, Executive Director Karen Oswald said.
The funds raised help the nonprofit group teach reading and writing skills to about 300 adults each year at no cost to the students, she said.
This year's Trivia Bee brought 19 teams, about 76 players, some 80 spectators and a dozen volunteers to the casino's Fox River Room.
The Kiwanis Club of Elgin was one of several teams that has entered the trivia contest since its inception.
"We do it because it's a contribution to the Literacy Connection," Kiwanis member Ron Razowsky said.
The club usually finishes in the middle of the pack, but its members said they judge their results by another yardstick -- how they stack up against Rotary Club of Elgin.
"As long as we beat them, we feel we're ahead in the game," Kiwanis member Susan Humbracht said.
The Judson team correctly identified Mount Erebus, Colony Collapse Disorder and Mark Felt, propelling it to its second win in a row and its third in four years.
"Education frees people's minds, so we support the Literacy Connection," Hammerlund said, before issuing a warning to potential challengers: "We will be back."