Techies quiz for cause

Quizzing is more than just a weekend pastime for corporates in the city. With Phase Forward ACE 2009 Corporate Quiz scheduled to be held on June 13, techies are all set to quiz for a cause. The proceeds of the event organised by Quizerratti, one of the toughest quiz masters, will fund the mid-day meal scheme at a school for the underprivileged.
Vinod Ganesh of iRevna Research, a regular at the event says the idea of reaching out to the poor while doing something he enjoys is what had him hooked. “I have been passionate about quizzing since my school days but my hectic life leaves me with little time to pursue my passions or to do something for the less fortunate. But this quiz is something I take time out for since I can do justice to both,” says Ganesh, who won the quiz twice and is hoping for a hat-trick this year.
Rahul Girish Kumar, of Satyam, who bagged the second position last year, says, “Initially, I was sceptical about the quality of the quiz as it was a fund-raiser. But to my surprise, the questions were out of the box, the difficulty level was challenging and the entire event was thoroughly entertaining.”
The volunteers at Asha, an NGO that came up with the idea of organising this quiz on the ISB campus say this is an interesting way to raise funds for their projects. Giri Kolanupaka, an Asha volunteer, says, “We run a school for the underprivileged and need funds for it. Since the quizzing scene in Hyderabad is quite happening and a lot of corporates evince interest in it, we thought of roping them in to participate in our endeavour.” And luckily for the tiny tots at Asha, Ace has gone on to become an event that techies look forward to.
Lathish Venugopal, a Google employee and one of the finalists, couldn’t have agreed more. “With around 50 top corporate houses participating in it from major cities, the quiz is extremely competitive. Last year, I was pitted against some of the best quizzers in the country. This boosts any avid quizzer’s confidence. But what makes it more gratifying than any other quiz is the cause,” Lathish says.