The BEE S’s Take Home the “Grand Bee” Award

There’s a new “Grand Bee” in town. Actually there are three.  

The BEE S’s, otherwise known as Tony Bussman, Lisa Clarck and Gail Altschwager, were crowned the winners of the 2011 Gran-Bee trivia competition. 

The Granby Memorial High School auditorium filled with participants and viewers on Friday night for the eighth annual Gran-Bee, put on by the nonprofit Granby Education Foundation.

“I think it’s one of our community’s favorite events,” said Granby Education Foundation Chair Rebecca Brewer. “It’s a small town coming together for a good cause.”

All of the proceeds from the competition benefit the education foundation, and funds go into the foundation’s general fund. From this fund, annual grants – community mini-grants and arts endowment grants – are given to the community. 

Kimberly Huot, chair of the community grants for foundation, said the grant awards go beyond just the school system.

“We really hope to reach the entire Granby population,” Huot said. 

Brewer said any nonprofit organization can apply, be it the public school system, the town’s parks and recreation department, or a local farm like Holcomb Farm. 

“Anything that is an inspirational and educational program that we can get behind,” Brewer said. 

Huot said although Granby may be a small town, it “has such a high emphasis on education.”

There were 26 teams that competed in the Gran-Bee on Friday evening, all of which were sponsored by an organization or person. 

“We get wonderful support from the organizations in town,” Brewer pointed out.

Five to six teams participated in a “swarm,” or round, where they were asked 10 trivia questions. Teams answered such questions as how many cups are in a pound of butter, what is the term for a resident of Liverpool, or how many Ringling Brothers founded the circus. 

The winning three-person team from each of the five swarms entered into a final swarm. The Wanna BEES, the BEE S’s, The Drones, BEEn There Done That and The Pollinators battled it out during the final round, but it was the BEE S’s that took home the win. 

Bussman, Clarck and Altschwager were given a Bee trophy, a six-month adult membership to the Farmington Valley YMCA (donated by the YMCA), and of course bragging rights. Last year, the team BEEn There Done That, which included Bob Wielgoszinski, Jim Pillow and Duncan Rowles, took home the win. 

For more information on the Granby Education Foundation, visit their website.