In what is expected to be the first of an annual fundraising platform, Sunshine Industries invited the community to compete against each other in a test of skill, strategy, speed and an eye for detail on Saturday, Oct. 12.
The nonprofit hosted a “Puzzling to Make A Difference” contest using a special-made 500 piece jigsaw puzzle featuring Foster Lake and local businesses. As many as 26 teams participated in the competition for a chance to have a little fun, support a local organization and try their chance at winning cash prizes.
Each team consisting of two persons was asked to come up with a team name, with examples found such as Piece Seekers, Puzzling Padres, Piece by Piece, and Puzzsters. Others took their team a little more seriously by dressing up, such as the Puzzling Padres who wore religious garb, while the Pink Ladies wore “Grease” -style pink jackets and Everyday I’m Puzzling wore T-shirts emblazoned with their team name.
The Burly Butterflies came outfitted with butterfly wings, long curly beards and sparkling sunglasses, but those accouterments were quickly shed as the seriousness of the competition took over. Anomalies sighted during the competition were two teams who partook of mimosas, bloody Marys and other specialty drinks, while another team split their attention between the puzzle and a football game playing on their phone.
When asked if any of the competitors in the room had participated in jigsaw puzzle competitions before, three hands went up, but Tiffany Castenada (Everyday I’m Puzzling) told The New Era she just raised her hand as a strategy to intimidate the other contestants. One of the other “experienced” contestants was Calista McMurray (Puzzsters) who came from Gresham with her sister, Jerrica Ross, of Albany. Their mother drives for the Sweet Home School District.
McMurray had only been in one other competition for solo puzzlers. She found team puzzling to be a more efficient way of competing.
“This one, with my sister and I, made it a lot faster (being able to) talk to each other versus doing it yourself,” she said.
Jill Miller worked on the puzzle with her daughter, Stephanie Felipa, who is a client at Sunshine and is known to be a dissectologist (a jigsaw puzzle enthusiast). A common strategy for many puzzlers is to construct the border first, but Felipa starts in the middle and works her way out, Miller said. In fact, she noted, Felipa gets bored and prefers to work on puzzles upside down.
Grabbing first place at 37 minutes, 11 seconds was team “Gingersnapped,” consisting of Jill Wilson and Amy Wingo. The pair said they had been thinking about hosting a puzzle competition at the high school to fundraise for the Josai Student Exchange Program, so taking advantage of an opportunity to actually participate in a puzzle competition was “perfect.”
Coming in at second was the Puzzsters, completing in 41 minutes, 46 seconds. Their strategy was to do all the little images and words first. In third place was the Piece Seekers, made up of Kate Roeser and Jill Libra, at 48 minutes, 42 seconds. They also came prepared with a strategy.
“It was we’ll dump out, flip, try to get the edges, but if we see something that draws our eye, just start focusing on that and then one person would keep flipping while the other one zones in,” Roeser said. “Usually I’m very structured and do borders first only, but you gotta throw the calmness out the door because it’s a high pressure situation.”
Sunshine’s office manager, Trisha King, attributed the success of the event to the local businesses that sponsored it, particularly the Tack and Larson sisters who came up with the idea and helped organize it.
“I think it’s pretty amazing that our community brought a fundraiser to us,” King said. “It’s something different this community hasn’t done yet.”
The fundraiser continues, though, as extra puzzles from the event can be purchased for a $50 donation.
“This is kind of what we’re hoping for, that every year it gets a little bigger and we get people that actually travel around and do this, and maybe this is kind of like a puzzle destination,” King said. “We’re all kind of nerdy and we’re ready to see how we can make it bigger.”
Proceeds from the fundraiser will be used for facility repairs and a transportation vehicle, as well as new programs and more staffing. This year, Sunshine Industries is celebrating its 50th anniversary.
“Sunshine was established in 1974 by a group of parents who wanted to know what was gonna happen with their children as they become adults and transition in life,” King explained. “That’s what we do every day, support those transitions for them to celebrate independence in whatever way that supports their goals.”