Bucket List: Go Out for Drinks and Play Pub Trivia (for a Good Cause)

Do you know the name of Stephen King’s St. Bernard or Rubeus Hagrid’s boarhound? These are two of the questions that my boyfriend Jeff and I were faced with at the Ottawa Therapy Dogs (OTD) Pub Trivia Night (in collaboration with the Glebe Clocktower Brew Pub and Ottawa Beavers/Banshees Rugby Football Club). We joined the gang on February 18 from 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm for their first fundraiser of this kind. The game was run by a professional quizmaster and participants were encouraged to form teams of up to four people, although our team was just the two of us. Gate charge was $10, and all proceeds went to OTD, with great prizes to be won.

We arrived at the Clocktower Brew Pub to a packed party room in the basement. There, we enjoyed a couple of pints of Kölsch and perused the silent auction. After some time, the question sheets were distributed. “Name and spell the capital of Slovenia” and “What is the name switch of the New Orleans NBA team?” were typical questions we answered to the best of our ability. If I call myself adventurous, then I have to label Jeff as competitive. He and I wanted to win! After completing the trivia quiz and adding up the points, we were tied for third place! It came down to a tiebreaker, a showdown. We had to name, alternating with the other team, the Canadian provinces in order of largest to smallest population. It was quite a surprise to the audience and the quizmaster when both teams completed this challenge successfully.

Photo Credit: facebook.com/pages/Ottawa-Therapy-Dogs

For the next round, we again had to alternate with the other team, this time calling out the first names of the Kings ofEngland since 1066. After a bit of back and forth, it was our turn with only two names left. Guessing “Philip”, we sadly lost! I couldn’t believe it. We were so close! Good news though: as the other team was comprised of more people, they kindly donated the prize to us. We walked away with a basket filled with supplies to make our very own lemonade.

Photo Credit: Liz Caswell

Ottawa Therapy Dogs is a volunteer-based organization providing animal-assisted activities and therapy with members’ registered therapy dogs. Serving the National Capital Region, OTD promotes an understanding of the values and benefits (enhanced physical, emotional and communication abilities) of the animal-human bond by offering a safe interaction with animal companions. We met Murphy, one of these special dogs. He visits seniors with Alzheimer’s Disease, and plays an important role in a children’s library program (where the kids actually read to the dog, and he listens!). For information and orientation sessions, contact OTD at admin@ottawatherapydogs.ca.

For those who love playing trivia and want more, an Ottawa Trivia League runs weekly pub nights at the Barley Mow and Royal Oak. Here’s the link to all the venues!

The pubs are often packed, and many teams have played for years. So you’d better start practicing if you want to team up for a night of trivia, brain exercising, and enlightenment. These interactive nights have you proving your knowledge on a variety of subjects, including pop culture, history and music. Boasting a sky-high I.Q. is not necessary, as long as you get those brain cells working, try your best, and have fun.

And don’t forget to check out Ottawa Therapy Dogs.

Photo Credit: Liz Caswell