Q: What is a favorite activity at The Garlands that encourages collaboration, stimulates brain health, engages long-term memory, facilitates friendships, and is just plain FUN?
A: Trivia Night!
What started as a one-time event attended by a few Garlands members has grown into a heated battle of the brains for many!
Teams of 6-8 — including the Patio Pals, The East Coasties, Thoughtful Thinkers, and The Firecrackers — summon their collective knowledge to answer random trivia questions (they say that the hardest ones are the ones with dates) in an attempt to win bragging rights and prizes at The Garlands monthly think-off!
The tables are set with pens and paper as well as motivational rolls of pastel, rainbow-colored “Smarties” candy as the questions begin.
The East Coasties, a group that, ironically, all moved at the same time to The Garlands from Boston, North Carolina, and the east coast of Florida, met at orientation. They recently shocked themselves when they came from behind in the rankings.
“We meet for dinner first and then have a glass of wine,” says East Coastie team member Pam Wilson. “The wine helps!” The team boasts two PhDs in agriculture and applied physical science, and their “spirit animal,” Rich, picks their double score category. “He nails it every time!”
What appears to be a good time for all, Trivia Night is also a good workout for the frontal cortex.
“Group-think triggers and exercises the mind differently in this team sport,” says Lynn Adams, director of lifestyles. “People are astonished by what they remember when they collaborate with a group. They start feeding off each other, and the memories just pop out!”
Plus, Lynn points out, “The camaraderie and hit of dopamine when teams pull an answer from thin air is the best prize of all!”
