By Marisa Dawson

The Bennington Public Schools Foundation (BPSF) recently hosted its 3rd annual Trifecta Game Night, a sold-out adults-only fundraiser that brought community members together for an evening of friendly competition, food, drinks, and plenty of hilarious chaos, all in support of local education. The foundation was able to raise $5,046 over the course of the two-night event.

The event took place at the Bennington Legion Hall, with one session on Friday night and two on Saturday (one early evening and one later). Teams of four raced to complete three challenges: assembling a 300-piece puzzle, eating a large pizza, and finishing a 12-pack of beer/seltzer (or non-alcoholic options). The fastest team to finish all three took the win, but the unpredictable Wheel of Chaos kept everyone on their toes.

Megan Schafersman, Community Relations Program Coordinator for the Bennington Public Schools Foundation, captured the excitement leading up to and during the night.

“I think the highlight is just thinking about all the teams coming together,” Schafersman said. “And the Wheel of Chaos challenge is probably the most hilarious and fun part (and biggest fundraiser) of the night. So I think we definitely enjoy looking forward to that.”

She described the wheel in more detail explaining that each team must spin the wheel at least once during their challenge. Possibilities on the wheel included extra drinks, eating pickled eggs, and other random ideas. “After everybody has spun once, people can then pay to challenge another team to do something from the wheel or they can come up with their own challenges, and that’s where the fun is,” Schafersman added.

Participants were especially thrilled during the final pushes and challenges. “I feel like they get really excited when they get to finishing their puzzles,” Schafersman noted. “But then once somebody gets challenged, they go back and forth because you can pay to get out of it. So that’s probably the most exciting and fun part.”

Now in its third year, the Trifecta Game Night has become one of the foundation’s top fundraisers, second only to the annual gala. Schafersman highlighted its growth and community draw: “We started this fundraiser three years ago, and it’s just grown so much. It sells out every year and it’s just fun to see.” She added that it attracts a mix of supporters, including dedicated puzzle teams from Lincoln who make the trip to have fun and donate to a worthy cause. Schafersman said the BPSF team also enjoys seeing the many local rivalries: “seeing the camaraderie and the spouse teams that go against each other, that’s always super fun.”

The event raises significant funds with easy planning on their part. “When we first started out with this event, we really just wanted it to be a fundraiser, but since the first year it’s quickly grown to be one of our biggest fundraising events,” Schafersman explained. 

Sponsors like World Liquor and Valentino’s helped provide the alcohol and pizza, and the foundation uses proceeds to enrich teaching, inspire learning, and create opportunities for Bennington Public Schools students district-wide. Schafersman summed up the vibe: “It’s just a really fun night, raising funds for all the programs that we do.”

With its mix of puzzles, pizza, brews, and chaotic challenges, the 3rd annual Trifecta Game Night delivered memorable laughs, strong community spirit, and valuable support for education in Bennington. 

Congrats to the winning teams:

Friday night
1st: Sage Cirkur
2nd: JABB-ing the Competition
3rd: Jigsaw Junkies

Saturday afternoon
1st: IPA A lot (record time of 42 minutes)
2nd: Trifecta Queens
3rd: One Piece Short

Saturday night 
1st: The Finer Things Club
2nd: The Magic Men
3rd: Defending Champs

Winner photos below courtesy of BPSF

Photos below by Marisa Dawson