GREENCASTLE – In an event that continues to regrow after Covid put a dent in public gatherings, the Rotary Club of Waynesboro hosted the 13th “Battle of the Minds” at Green Grove Gardens the evening of September 25, 2025.
The event is held each fall to raise funds for local community organizations. “It’s a jam-packed evening that includes silent auctions, a live auction, cocktail hour, a great meal, a big 50/50 (over $600 this year) and the Battle of the Minds trivia game with a first place prize which was raised to $2,000 starting this year” said Dan DeDona, chair of this year’s event.
“We advertise Battle as ‘the most fun you can have on a school night and still be home by 9:30′”
The Battle game pits each table against others in a Trivial Pursuit-style game with 35 multiple choice questions. When a question appeared on the screen and was read by emcee Mike Ross, each table had 10 seconds to choose their best answer and respond using an electronic remote.
This year, over 210 contestants at 28 tables competed in teams. The winners for the third time were the table of Fleagle, Flegel, Mackley and Shook. In the spirit of fund raising, they said they would donate back some of their winnings.
“It takes a lot people working on all the pieces throughout the year to make this a terrific evening for all of our guests. We get terrific support from sponsors throughout the community,” according to DeDona who has shepherded the event for many years.
“It also takes a lot of hands to make small work of such a large activity.”
- Mike Ross, president of Franklin County Area Development Corporation was master of ceremonies for the 13th year.
- Mike Cermak of Cermak Tech coordinated all the games and screens supporting activities.
- Dawn Keller and Greg Lyon Loftus coordinated beer and wine from The Beer Shed in Waynesboro.
- Bob Zimmerman and Greg Duffey coordinated corporate sponsorships with a team of six solicitors.
- Don Smith of Smith Company Design and Architect led a group of seven to find auction items to share with the crowd.
- Kaleb Hurley of Hurley Auctions acted as auctioneer for the live auction, stimulating some very competitive bidding.
- . . . and others.
“The biggest winners of the evening were Buttonwood Nature Center (formerly the Institute) who were selected as our co-sponsors this year,” according to DeDona.
Total earnings from the night are split 50/50 between Rotary and a co-sponsor who is selected by the club president and vice-president each year. “The criteria vary from year to year, but our club leaders are looking for the best organization to use their earnings to make the community better for years to come.”
Although the final tally is not yet in for this year, revenues for each Battle average around $10,000. “With growth in participation, we may be on the high side of that average this time,” DeDona said.
Buttonwood will use its share of the winnings to design and construct a nature playscape which will provide elements from the earth such as tree logs and stumps, boulders, plants and sand to stimulate young participants’ senses about the world around them.
“The Rotary Club of Waynesboro has about 17 activities it performs every year throughout the Waynesboro area,” DeDona said, including Toys for Children, books for residents of Abraxas on the mountain each Christmas, dictionaries and copies of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution for third and fourth graders (including St Andrews), financial literacy for high school seniors and many others. The club uses its share each year to finance these activities.
“We also we want to thank Luke Fogle and his staff from The Family Table Restaurant for their support making such a great event space as Green Grove Gardens available and serving our needs each year,” DeDona added.
Planning has already begun for the 2026 edition of Battle of the Minds. For more information on the Battle, readers may go to battleoftheminds.org. For more on the Rotary Club of Waynesboro, they also may see rotaryclubofwaynesboro.org.
