BY WILL ROSS
RUTLAND—Real Family Feud returned to the Paramount Theatre in Rutland on Saturday night. Local teams came to test their wits, trying to beat the survey and prove they were worthy of walking home with the coveted trophy and, of course, bragging rights. Teams were composed of local businesses and organizations, but naturally, the Town of Brandon was also represented. It was a night of laughs, zingers, shocking answers, and a healthy amount of friendly banter, all on a stage that was built out to look just like the TV show. It is the fifth year the event has taken place and, as in past years, it proved to be a big hit, with over 500 people in the audience.
The event was put on by the Rutland Region Chamber of Commerce, and proceeds go to support the Regional Marketing Initiative—Real Rutland. The marketing initiative is a 10-year plan to promote economic development in the region. It is focused on creating a regional economic climate that is conducive to business and population growth. Since it began in 2016, the Real Rutland concierge program has proven to be successful in attracting families and individuals to move into the community, and events like this are certainly a good way to show why this is such a special place to live.
Real Family Feud kicked off with a rousing introduction from the evening’s host, Eric Mallette, who is the Executive Director of the Paramount Theater. Mallette went on to thank the many sponsors of the event, and then it was time to bring out the teams. There were 50 competitors at Saturday’s event: ten teams of five players each, who would go on to face off in a head-to-head showdown. Contestants were welcomed with roaring applause as the teams ran out on stage—and they were dressed for the occasion. From hair bands to cowboy getups to neon jumpsuits, the outfits alone showed that these competitors were ready to bring their A-game. Brandon’s own Colleen Wright was decked out in white sunglasses and sequined pants.
The lineup of teams included:
The Town of Brandon vs. Xfinity
Community Health vs. NewStory Center
Killington Resort vs. Green Mountain Power
Rutland Regional Medical Center vs. Rutland Regional Medical Center
Fabian Earth Moving vs. Casella Construction Inc.
The first round of the night was between the Town of Brandon and Xfinity, and there was plenty of trash talk to keep things exciting. The team from Brandon included Bill Moore, Fred Pockette, Colleen Wright, Molly Kennedy, and Susan Gage. They came out strong and showed that Brandon has its finger on the pulse when it comes to correctly guessing survey answers. Xfinity won the buzzer, but by guessing a more popular answer, Moore stole the board for Brandon, and the team decided to play. The first question was “What do you do when you can’t sleep?” and it had the team wracking their brains. Some old classic responses from Brandon, including “drink a warm glass of milk” and “count sheep,” fell short, but timeless answers such as “drink booze” and “read a book” got the team off to a great start, racking up 88 points against Xfinity.
The second round’s question was, “Name a kind of house you’d never want to be in.” Xfinity started strong, guessing the top answer, but quickly lost control of the board. After Brandon was unable to steal, the points were awarded to Xfinity, making the score in the second round 104-88 with Xfinity in the lead.
The third round’s question was, “Name something you would bring on a date.” Brandon won the buzzer and quickly made their way through the majority of the answers, which included prophylactics, cash, and pepper spray. When they fell short of clearing the board, Xfinity was unable to steal, and Brandon claimed victory in the first match with a score of 262-104.
The second match was a blowout between Community Health and NewStory Center. While NewStory Center did most of the heavy lifting, Community Health had great success stealing the board and ended up winning 311-0. There was plenty of trash talk in the next matchup between Killington and Green Mountain Power, and after a close back and forth, Killington walked away with the win with a score of 309-190. The fourth match of the evening was between the two teams from Rutland Regional Medical Center: Med Zepplin and The Oneders. Med Zepplin swept all three rounds, winning 580-0. The fifth and most heated match of the evening was between Casella Construction and Fabian Earth Moving. These teams clearly had die-hard fan bases in the audience who weren’t afraid to show their support. Casella ended up taking home the win, 265–190.
The final matchup was a lightning round between the two teams that got the highest scores of the evening. Unfortunately, Brandon didn’t make the cut, so the two final teams were Med Zepplin and Community Health. It was a close match with each team performing at the apex of their ability but in the end, Med Zepplin bested Community health and walked home with the trophy.
In a night full of laughter, good-hearted fun, and a bit of slander, Real Rutland Feud proved to be a rousing success, and Eric Mallette showed that his hosting skills are up there with the likes of Steve Harvey and Richard Dawson. But what is most telling is the participation from the community, with local businesses, sponsors, and audience members all showing up to represent the community. And as Mallette said to conclude, “We live in the best place in Vermont, and I am so thankful for that fact… We hope you join us next year for more fun!”
