GREENCASTLE, Pa. — Green Grove Gardens was the site for the Rotary Club of Waynesboro’s successful 14th Battle of the Minds on Sept. 24.
“It’s always a big fundraising event,” said Dan DeDona, the club’s Battle chair this year. “We jam-pack activities including an open bar, a plated meal, two silent auctions, a live auction, a big 50/50 and of course the Battle, into a four-hour evening. It moves very quickly.”
Total earnings from the night are split 50/50 with each year’s co-sponsor who is selected by the club president and vice president. “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.” This year’s co-sponsor was the Waynesboro YMCA.
The club set up over 220 seats at tables of eight, a return to the scale of pre-Covid events. “That’s a lot of meals,” said DeDona. Current Green Grove owner Luke Fogle catered the event using The Family Kitchen in Chambersburg, which he also owns.
“Auctions really hit their stride this year,” said Kim Eaton, who wore a number of hats including director of the YMCA. “People kept offering baskets, products and services.”
“We had over 60 silent auction items and eight very valuable live auction items including tickets to a Steelers-Ravens game.” Eaton is also the president of the Rotary Club until July 2027 and will be taking over the Battle next year as DeDona passes the baton.
The Battle game, which carries a $2,000 prize, pits each table against others in a Trivial Pursuit-style game with 35 multiple-choice questions. When a question appears on the screen and is read by the master of ceremonies, each table has 10 seconds to choose their best answer and respond using an electronic remote. Potomac Leasing, which won the Battle, decided to donate back $1,000.
“Our YMCA is the biggest winner,” said DeDona. “Proceeds from the 2026 Battle of the Minds will directly support children, youth and families served by the Waynesboro Area YMCA.”
Although the final tally is not yet in for this year, net revenue for each Battle averages around $20,000.
“It takes a lot of hands to make small work of such a large activity,” according to DeDona. Those involved this year include:
· Mike Ross, president of the Franklin County Area Development Corporation, was master of ceremonies for the 14th year.
· Mike Cermak of Cermak Tech, coordinated all the games and screens supporting activities.
· Dawn Keller coordinated beer and wine from The Beer Shed in Waynesboro.
· Bob Zimmerman and Greg Duffey coordinated corporate sponsorships with a team of solicitors.
· Don Smith of Smith Company Design and Architect led a group of seven club members and worked with Eaton and folks from the Y on auctions.
· Kaleb Hurley of Hurley Auctions acted as auctioneer for the live auction, stimulating some very competitive bidding.
· And others.
DeDona also added, “The Rotary Club of Waynesboro has about 17 activities it performs every year throughout the Waynesboro area. 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 education for high school seniors and many others. The club uses its share each year to finance all these activities.”
Planning has already begun for the 2027 edition of Battle of the Minds. For more information on the Battle, go to battleoftheminds.org. For more on the Rotary Club of Waynesboro, see rotaryclubofwaynesboro.org.
