The Ridgefield Public Schools Foundation will match up to $5,000 this week in a fundraiser to pay travel expenses for the Ridgefield High School Knowledge Bowl team, which is preparing to go to the National Quiz Bowl in Georgia

One of the best Knowledge Bowl teams in the Northwest — the nation, actually — is heading to another national competition, and this week the Ridgefield Public Schools Foundation is raising money for the squad.

The Ridgefield High School Knowledge Bowl team is going to the National Quiz Bowl in Atlanta in May.

This week, the RPSF will match up to $5,000 in donations from the community. Money raised will be used by the team for travel costs. Donations can be made online at the RPSF website: https://www.ridgefieldpsf.org/donate

This is the third consecutive year the RPSF has supported the state-champion Knowledge Bowl team going to a national event.

Ridgefield’s top varsity team has won the Washington state Class 2A title multiple times in the past six years and has claimed two national championships. 

“The level of competition at the National Quiz Bowl is truly world-class,” said David Jacobson, the team’s coach. “Our Ridgefield kids compete against a field of geniuses from the most prestigious schools in the world. Watching them hold their own and even win is incredible. Seeing them realize the payoff from hundreds of hours of study, knowing they can compete with anyone academically — this is a core life experience for them.”

The team is grateful for the support from the community through the years.

“These kids could be the brightest, hardest-working team in the country, and they’d never get a chance to show it without the generous support of our community,” Jacobson said. 

RPSF opted to help the team for the third consecutive year because of the opportunity it presents the students.

“We seek to fund student opportunities that support whole student development, especially ones that public funds may not be able to fully support,” said Joe Manning, a RPSF trustee. “We are grateful for the continued opportunity to partner with our community to make participation in the National Quiz Bowl a reality for these high school students.”

The National Quiz Bowl will be held May 23-25 in Atlanta.

The Ridgefield Public Schools Foundation is a privately funded, nonprofit organization established in 2009.