Trivia Buffs to Aid Literacy Campaign

Ventura County trivia buffs will spend an evening answering obscure questions for a good cause at the third annual Literacy Programs Trivia Challenge Wednesday.

The event will showcase 18 trivia teams representing several of the county’s service clubs, library affiliates and businesses. Each three-member team will pay a $300 registration fee to support Ventura County’s Library Reading Program for adults.

“We feel it’s an important cause to support,” said Barbara Wilson, an officer of the Friends of the Thousand Oaks Library. Her auxiliary will be sending contestants for the third straight year, plus “a group of people to root for our team,” Wilson said.

Spectators are asked to contribute a $5 donation. In return, they can enjoy the trivia contest, refreshments and a chance to win door prizes, including Patagonia jackets, jewelry and tickets to Los Angeles Raiders games.

The event will take place at the Radisson Hotel ballroom in Oxnard, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. It will include a short program to honor the reading program’s volunteers and participants.

Over the past two years, the Trivia challenge has raised $6,500 for books and other materials, said Jean Kellner of the Rotary Club of Ventura-South, which sponsors the event. The literacy also receives funds from the county budget, local adult education schools, grants and private donations.