Students from around Grant County competed last week in the annual Grant County Drug, Alcohol and Tobacco Awareness (DATA) Quiz Bowl, hosted by Marion Community Schools in partnership with the Grant County Drug and Alcohol Resource Team (DART). 

This annual competition helps bring awareness to the risks of substance use and abuse, and helps equip students to make healthy choices. It also gives participants the chance to win fun prizes! 

Students in grades four through seven participated in school level competitions in recent months, and up to two winners from each grade at each participating school advanced to the county finals, held Nov. 21 at Justice Intermediate School in Marion. The top finishers in the county finals were:

Division 1 (grades 4 & 5)

• First place: Cooper Planck, Northview Elementary (Mississinewa)
• Second place: Brenley Clasby, Northview Elementary (Mississinewa)

Division 2 (grades 6 & 7)

• First place: Sadie Angel, Park Elementary (Madison-Grant)
• Second place: Sydney Dunham, Park Elementary (Madison-Grant)

Front row from left, Division 1 runner-up Brenley Clasby, Division 1 winner Cooper Planck, Division 2 winner Sadie Angel, and Division 2 runner-up Sydney Dunham. Back row, from left, Judge Mark Spitzer, DART Board Member and Grant County Probation Officer Mike Henson, Marion Mayor Ronald Morrell, and Marion Police Chief David Gilbert.

The prize package for first-place county winners included:

• Courtesy of Marion Parks & Recreation: 2025 Family Pass for the Splash House 
• Courtesy of Walmart: $10 gift card 
• Funded by DART grant: $100 Amazon gift card and $15 gift cards from each of the following: McDonald’s, Dairy Queen, Jimmy John’s, Burger King, Wendy’s, Domino’s 

The prize package for second place county winners included: 

• Courtesy of Marion Parks & Recreation: 2025 Individual Pass for the Splash House 
• Courtesy of Walmart: $10 gift card 
• Funded by DART grant: $50 Amazon gift card and $15 gift cards from each of the following: McDonald’s, Dairy Queen, Jimmy John’s, Burger King, Wendy’s, Domino’s 

The DATA Quiz Bowl is open to all schools in Grant County. The schools that participated this year were Marion Community Schools’ Justice Intermediate School; Madison-Grant United School Corporation’s Park Elementary; Mississinewa Community Schools’ Northview Elementary; and Oak Hill School Corporation’s Swayzee Elementary.

In addition to the top four, competitors also included: 

• Justice Intermediate School: Kaytee Bailey, Jaxon Hardwick, and Arielle Wright
• McCulloch Junior High: Shantell Letson
• Northview Elementary: Mazie Howey, Cooper Planck, and Cattaleya Shepard
• Park Elementary: Breeah Holmes and Piper Trusty
• Swayzee Elementary: Eian Aronson, Reilynn Burkhart, Alice Dennis, and Jane Devers, 

If your school would like information about competing in the DATA Quiz Bowl, click here to contact Tiffany Tracy at Justice Intermediate School.

Marion Community Schools is thankful to all the people, businesses, and organizations that partnered with us to help encourage healthy living in Grant County! We are also grateful for the community volunteers who helped with the county competition. Our emcee was Judge Mark Spitzer, and our “celebrity” judges were Grant County Sheriff Del Garcia, Marion Police Chief David Gilbert, DART Board Member and Grant County Probation Officer Mike Henson, and Marion Mayor Ronald Morrell. 
In addition, Marion Community Schools appreciates the educators and families who helped students prepare for the competition, and we are so proud of all of the students who participated in the 2024 DATA Quiz Bowl!

All participants in the county finals received prize packages with items donated by local businesses and organizations. 

Donors also included: 

• Afena Federal Credit Union
• Beacon Credit Union
• Cafe Valley
• Colonial Oaks Health & Rehab
• Crest Lanes
• Culver’s
• Fazoli’s
• Hoosier Jiffy Print 
• IHOP
• Marion Health
• Marion Fire Department
• Marion Police Department
• Regions Bank
• Riverside Community Federal Credit Union
• Ruoff Mortgage
• Star Financial Bank
• State Farm
• Starbucks
• Walmart

The competitors at the annual Grant County Drug, Alcohol and Tobacco Awareness (DATA) Quiz Bowl county finals, held on Nov. 21, 2024, at Justice Intermediate School, pose for a photo together. Back row, from left, are Judge Mark Spitzer, DART Board Member and Grant County Probation Officer Mike Henson, Marion Mayor Ronald Morrell, and Marion Police Chief David Gilbert.