The Wheeling National Heritage Area, the Ohio County Public Library, West Virginia Independence Hall, and Dr. David Javersak are joining forces to present the first ever “It’s Wheeling History” Trivia Challenge.
The competition has room for twelve teams of three to four members each. Round one will feature six games on Tuesday, May 19, starting at 6 PM in the auditorium of the Ohio County Public Library. Each first round game will be limited to twenty minutes. Dr. Javersak, emeritus history professor at West Liberty University, will serve as the host for all games. Teams will choose from categories such as People, Places and Events and will accumulate points for correct answers. Team members will be permitted to consult for 30 seconds before a final answer is required. If the team answers correctly, the opponent will choose a category. If a team answers incorrectly, the opponent will be able to steal the points with the correct answer. Any ties after regulation will be settled by a sudden death lightning round. A panel of three expert judges will settle any disputes. Participants will not be permitted to access the Internet during competition.
Six teams will advance to Round Two, which will be held at the historic courthouse at West Virginia Independence Hall on Tuesday, June 23 at 7 PM. The second round will feature three games of 30 minutes in duration. The same rules will otherwise apply.
The three winning teams from round two will advance to the “It’s Wheeling History” Trivia Challenge Championship, to be held on First Friday, August 7 at 7 PM at the historic “Blue Church,” at 12th and Byron Streets in East Wheeling. The evening will feature musical entertainment, beverages, and snacks.
The Championship round will last 60 minutes and the winning team will receive the inaugural, prestigious and highly coveted, “It’s Wheeling History” Trivia Challenge Championship Cup, a traveling trophy comprised of a red antique galvanized “Dura-Zinc-Alloy” fire bucket manufactured by Wheeling Corrugating Company. Individual team members from the first, second and third place teams will also receive locally made gifts.
Team registration will be on a first come, first served basis until 12 teams are registered. The fee per person is $10.00. All registered participants will receive an “It’s Wheeling History” Trivia Challenge tee-shirt. Tee-shirts will also be available at the three competition venues for purchase. Teams can register in person at the Ohio County Public Library or online by visiting the library’s web site at www.ohiocountylibrary.org. Registration will not be considered official until the registration fee for all team members is paid in full.
Sponsors for the inaugural “It’s Wheeling History” Trivia Challenge include Dr. David A. Kappel, C.J. Kaiser, Dr. David Javersak, David H. McKinley, Dr. William Noble, the Ohio County Public Library, West Virginia Independence Hall, and the Wheeling National Heritage Area Corporation.