‘Quiz Nite’ raises awareness of and raises funds for autism in the CNMI

From naming the first person to coin the word “autism” to identifying the type of disability that Beethoven had or the country whose flag is flashed on the screen, people from a broad spectrum of the community put their history, culture, mathematics, and pop culture knowledge to test during “Quiz Nite” on Saturday.

“Quiz Nite,” now on its second year, is the Autism Society of the CNMI’s signature fundraiser, which also aims to increase awareness of autism.

“We’re thankful for everyone who supported our fundraiser once again and the ones who supported us for the first time. We hope to continue doing this with the help of our community,” Autism Society of the CNMI president Barbara Merfalen told Saipan Tribune during a break at the Saipan World Resort in Susupe.

Autism is a disorder of neural development characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior. The word “autism” was first coined by Swiss psychiatrist Paul Eugen Bleuler in 1912.

Of the teams that participated, “Catch us if you can” bagged the first prize by correctly answering 27 of 40 questions.

The seven-member winning team consisted of Michael A. White, Nancy Gottfried, Carolyn Kern, Hedwig Hofschneider, Mina Yu, Matt Smith, and Christina Smith.

“The Posse” team came in second by having 23 of 40 questions answered correctly.

“Where is John Rogers?” bagged the third prize for coming up with 22 correct answers out of 40 questions. Each of the four rounds had 10 questions.

Both “Catch us if you can” and “The Posse” teams donated their cash prizes of $200 and $100, respectively, to the Autism Society of the CNMI. All the three winners each got a trophy, but the third prize didn’t have a cash prize.

Besides the competition, the crowd was also treated to dinner, a bit of dancing, and fun time with new and old friends, along with getting to know the officers of the Autism Society of the CNMI including its president Merfalen, vice president Romeo Cuellar, secretary Larrisa Larson, and treasurer Julie Pagcaliwagan. Tom Thornburgh served as the quiz show host for the evening.

Pagcaliwagan said they raised at least $2,606 that night, while Larson said the amount is expected to increase as other donations are expected to come in today.

Jolly Ann Cruz, a 20-year-old elementary education student at Northern Marianas College, said she volunteered to help organize “Quiz Nite” because she wants to raise awareness about autism.

“I think that not a lot of people talk about autism so I wanted to help raise awareness about it,” Cruz said.

Besides Cruz, other NMC volunteer organizers included Amberlynn Mendiola and Dyenina Diaz, along with other student volunteers.

Over 80 individuals showed up at the $20-per-person fundraiser. Organizers said there were others who bought tickets but were not able to attend.