Trivia junkies convene for annual competition

The 44th Annual Great Midwest Trivia Contest, run by Lawrence University in Appleton, kicks off on Friday.  The 50-hour trivia marathon will begin exactly at 10:00:37 p.m. and will attract dozens of teams from the Fox Valley -- both on and off campus.  "Trivia Masters" from the University have compiled a list of more than 350 mind-boggling questions, which will be webcast through the school's radio station, WLFM.

Dave Van Heertum has hosted a trivia party at his home in Combined Locks for several years.  His team, "Trivia Pirates," consists of nearly 40 members.  They work around the clock, using piles of books and rows of computers, to answer the often difficult questions in a matter of minutes.

"Most of us stay up the entire 50 hours to try and win the competition," said Van Heertum.  "We might take an hour nap here or there."

The "Trivia Pirates" will need to use every resource they can this year.  Another off-campus team, "Bank of Kaukauna" has won every year since 2001.