On April 22, the Granby Education Foundation presented one of the town’s favorite family-friendly community events, the Gran-Bee. Twenty eight teams competed to see which one knew the most trivia (see panel for sample questions). With families and kids of all ages playing along, each Swarm was cheered as the finalists flew to the top.
With Scott Kuhnly, Granby’s First
Selectman, confidently emceeing, team Bee S, sponsored by Tony Bussman Painting Co., dominated the hive to capture the “Grand Bee” award for the fourth time since 2009. They took home the coveted Bee trophy as well as three adult 6-month memberships to the Farmington Valley YMCA (donated by the Y). Teammates Tony Bussman, Shirley Edbrooke, and Gail Altschwager edged out the Bee Prepared team by one correct answer. Judges Rev. Sandra Fischer, Rev. Ginny McDaniel, and Pastor Clark Pfaff kept order as the jokes, the answers, and the occasional confusion made the 13th Bee the charm.
Wearing their best backwoods couture, The Bee-verly Hillbillies (Glenn Cusano, Jeff Gilton, and Steve Newman) won the Yellow Jacket Award after just missing the finals.
This event was sponsored by major donors GoodWorks Insurance, Farmington Valley YMCA, Simsbury Bank, Lost Acres Orchard, MeadowBrook of Granby, Northwest Community Bank, Arrow Concrete and Sir Speedy.
This year, through individual and corporate donations, GEF grants were made to the High School Robotics and DECA teams, a pen-pal program at Kearns School, and a visit from Jacqueline Davies, author of The Lemonade Wars at Wells Road School among others.
The GEF “nourishes educational excellence by raising private funds in support of innovative educational initiatives for people of all ages in Granby and surrounding towns.” Since 2000, the group has given approximately $150,000 in Community Grants, established a $200,000 Arts Endowment, and built the $350,000 Salmon Brook Ecology Center.
