CARIEVALE — The nine members of the Carievale Cemetery Committee were pondering how they could raise funds to maintain, upkeep and even upgrade their cemetery.
A recent lottery fundraiser had provided funding for a lot of their needs, but stipulations had prevented money from being raised to provide wages or stipend to pay personnel to do the work.
One day, a couple of the committee members were in the garage of a former committee member, building some tables. As they worked, a TV was providing background entertainment. A knockoff of the popular game Family Feud was airing, and the thought process was going even further.
The former member mentioned that he had a DJ friend – Trevor Kerr of Kerrs Bouncers and Inflatables – who was an expert in hosting game shows. The more the committee thought about this, the more exciting the idea became. It would be a great way to raise funds, plus it would make for an entertaining evening for the community.
The June 20 date was picked for the Carievale Community Hall and the planning for Family Feud Carievale began.
Twelve teams of five signed up to play. Consisting of family and friends, each team was encouraged to adopt a theme.
The themes were varied. Some chose the 1980s, others chose TV shows, while others came as celebrities. Each team appointed a captain who tried to convince the rest of those attending that their team was the best. Individuals then went on to bid through a Calcutta, directed by local auctioneer Lee McMillen.
The format of the show saw each team play one round. The top two teams went on to a final round. The winning team was the BEMCK Family.
The top four teams, the successful bidders and the cemetery cCommittee split the Calcutta pool. All the teams, though, were awarded various prizes. Some of the winning bidders donated their winnings back to the committee.
Kerr and his assistant kept everyone entertained with his questions and quick wit. This was the first time Kerr had led a Family Feud event where the contestants came in theme. He enjoyed it so much that he planned to include the themed idea in his repertoire of events to suggest to future clients.
They, along with many others, including the game participants, are already looking forward to a sequel in Carievale.
