Gainesville Staff Help Solve Mysteries While Raising Money for Local Food Bank

Several staff members from Gainesville State School participated in murder mystery theater event benefiting the Visto food bank last week.

The food bank assists more than 17,000 people in crisis in the Cooke County area and has raised more than $140,000 for these families.

The Visto (Volunteers In Service to Others) Vintage Murder Mystery posited a crime in which “Barry Underwood” met his doom somewhere in wine country. The mission: Sniff out the perpetrator.

Team Gainesville was on it, interviewing Underwood’s fiancé “Tina Bubbles,” his cousin “Ralph Rottingrape,” beauty queen “Marilyn Merlot,” Hollywood movie star, “Hedy Shablee,” owner of a neighboring vineyard and “Papa Vino,” who helped develop the Underwood Wine Estates. There’s more, but you get the idea.

Game participants each got to interview two suspects and then came together with their respective teams to deliberate and try to solve the murder. After putting on their Colombo hats, (but not really) the team determined that it was Papa Vino who had committed the dastardly deed, in an effort to restore his family name.

Gainesville team members report that Visto food pantries organizers were thrilled to have their participation, and they’ve vowed to bring two teams next year to help give back to the community in such a fun way.

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