Puzzle Competition Brings Newberry Community Together
Prosperity’s Civic Center Hosts the First Ever Local Puzzle Championship
Engaging in an exciting new event, the Newberry community made history with an inaugural Jigsaw Puzzle Competition, last Friday. Thirteen enthusiastic teams pitted their wits against each other at the Prosperity Civic Center. The innovative gathering saw the triumph of team ‘Planet Fit This,’ who claimed the top honors and a cash prize.
Jessie Long, Director of Newberry County Parks and Recreation, expressed his delight at the Community’s backing and the outpouring of support from partners and local sponsors in making the occasion a roaring success. Newberry County Parks and Recreation organized the event with assistance from the city of Newberry Parks, Recreation and Tourism, and further sponsorship by the Town of Prosperity.
Enthusiasm All Around
Karen Livingston, the administrator for the Town of Prosperity, applauded the event’s creativity, her enjoyment apparent as she looked forward to the following year’s competition. The city PRT Director, Collin Shealy, echoed similar thoughts, remarking, “Jessie did a great job spearheading the effort.”
Johnnie Caldwell, the Program Manager, saw substantial potential for the event’s growth. He pointed out the high spirit of the teams, their competitiveness, and the interactions between the participants throughout.
The Competitive Flair
The thirteen teams, consisting of four individuals each, embarked on the challenge of assembling the same Ravensburger Puzzle, “Manatee Moments.” Team ‘Planet Fit This’ emerged victorious, solving the puzzle in just 54 minutes, earning them the title of Newberry County Puzzle Master, a cash prize of $200, and individual plaques.
Earning the first and second runner-up positions were ‘World Piece’ and ‘The Jackson Five,’ who resolved their puzzles winning cash prizes of $100 and $50, respectively.
Added Fun Element
Further sparking the competitive spirit, there was an added contest for the best team shirt, judged on three distinctive categories: Most Original, Funniest, and Most Puzzling. Team World Piece seized the Most Original category. Their shirts were a burst of color, creativity, and spunk. Team “Na-Na, Na, Na, Na-Na” won the Funniest category with their tastefully outrageous attire, and the team with the longest name, “We couldn’t come up with a name for our puzzle team so this is the name of our puzzle team” – a Fall Out Boy song reference, won the Most Puzzling category. These winners received prize packs with donations from various sponsors.
Looking Forward to More
Drawing to a close, the event was warmly received, leaving an afterglow of positivity and enthusiasm amongst the participating teams. The expectation looks to extend the puzzle competition trend into future community activities, with added divisions and prizes to further enhance competitiveness and engagement. Leaving a mark in the social events calendar, Prosperity’s Civic Center’s inaugural Puzzle Competition surely stands as a testament to Newberry’s thriving community spirit.
