The first Juventutem Australia fundraiser was held last night and despite a few technical problems, went very well. We had been expecting about 55 'patrons' and therefore catered accordingly but with closer to 40 attending, there was quite a lot of food and drinks left over. That however did not lead to the usual waste problems because untouched food was either taken to the priest's house or kept to be served after tomorrow's baptism.

The fundraiser took the form of a 'quiz' or 'trivia' night, for which the blogger prepared questions on several topics ranging from religion to the arts to sport. Pretty much the standard fare you would get on Who Wants to be a Millionaire, albeit without the lifelines and millions. There was little doubt which table would win - the one boasting the two members of our community each with encyclopaedic knowledge. However their victory was not a rout, with the second and third place tables coming with a handful of points. A vote of thanks must go to our MC, who kept the patrons entertained between questions with his wit and wisdom, making jokes in a manner not usually associated with professors of business communications.

As the keeper of the 'purse' I have yet to count how much money was made on the night but it will probably not be nearly enough to cover the cost of all the food and supplies, which were enough for twice the number of attendees. That said, the night did prove a success in informing the community about Juventutem and hopefully they will continue to offer their support to its work.

Our next fundraiser, at least here in Melbourne, will probably be something far simpler like a leaving collection. At least then I won't have to return home with a rubbish bag full of unused plastic bowls, cups, plates and spoons. I will keep them for our next community picnic or if anyone else wants to have a function.