On the evening of Friday, May 30, CoAction hosted a high-energy Trivia Night fundraiser at the Porter County Expo Center. The money raised at this event will support the financial support services that CoAction offers residents of Lake, La Porte, Porter, Starke, Jasper, Pulaski, and Newton counties. In 2024, CoAction served over 38,000 individuals through programs that offer nutrition, housing, financial stability, and aging services.
CoAction brought together supporters, local leaders, and community champions at the Trivia Night to help celebrate its mission to provide Northwest Indiana residents with critical resources. Peoples Bank, Porter-Starke Services, and HealthLinc were among the organizations that helped sponsor this event.
“This event isn’t just about raising awareness,” said Jen Trowbridge, CEO of CoAction. “It is about celebrating the real progress we’re making in Northwest Indiana. Serving 38,000 people last year is no small feat, but it’s only possible because our community continues to show up and invest in one another.”
Teams of eight players brought all of their knowledge to bear in their quest for trivia supremacy. The participants were tested on their knowledge of space, superheroes, history, sports, mascots, animals, food, and health and medicine. The trivia participants enjoyed drinks from the cash bar and the delicious hors d'oeuvres that were served up by Cappo's throughout the evening.
Matt Evans, real estate broker/owner of RE/MAX Lifestyles, has financially supported the Trivia Night for the past four years. He considers it to be an event worth investing in.
“Trivia Night is fantastic,” Evans said. “It’s a lot of fun and it supports CoAction, an organization that is so important for our community. They provide much-needed housing and direction to people who want to have a stable home and potentially become homeowners. Valpo has always had a lot of philanthropic support to offer and everyone here tonight seems to be enjoying supporting the community.”
Between trivia rounds, the attendees perused the silent auction prizes, which included fine wines, paintings of local university landmarks, beauty and nail salon gift cards, and a two-month membership to Anytime Fitness.
Phyllis Schroeder, a CoAction board of directors member, views the Trivia Night as an excellent way to spread the word about the great work that CoAction is doing throughout Northwest Indiana.
“I hope everyone here recognizes the tremendous impact that CoAction has had on the Region’s communities,” Schroeder said. “The enthusiasm for our work and the passion for education that Jen Trowbridge and Brian Weichert exhibit are unmatched. I’m very grateful to have had the opportunity to serve on CoAction’s board. It’s been one of the best experiences of my retirement.”
The attendees had the opportunity to “spread” some love by posing for a photo in front of a Co-Action backdrop with a jar of BNutty peanut butter and posting their pictures on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Everyone who took a photo could take home the peanut butter of their choice.
“It’s nights like this that remind us of what collective impact looks like,” said Carl Kurek, director of development for CoAction. “Every trivia team, every volunteer, every donor is part of something much bigger: helping our neighbors find stability and hope.”
Once the points were tallied, the first-, second-, and third-place teams came forward to claim their prize. It was the Porter-Starke Services team that carried home the first-place prize, the coveted Trivia Night 2025 trophy.
“CoAction is actually doing the hard work out there,“ Indiana’s Fourth District State Senator Rodney Pol said. “In government, it can be difficult to get certain things done. To have a private nonprofit organization like CoAction step up to the plate and create housing for people is amazing. Everyone loves trivia, so this event is a great opportunity to bring people together.”
For more information on CoAction’s services and upcoming events, please visit coaction.care.
