When it came time for Sarah Newbert, her husband Richie and their son Jack to come up with a team name for the Gleason Family YMCA’s first-ever jigsaw puzzle building contest, the choice was clear: Team Fred.

The name of Sarah’s late, beloved uncle has been an inside joke in the family for years.

“I will name things Fred,” Sarah said. “I named all my fish Fred when I was tiny. I named Jack’s stuffed animals Frederick Alexander III.” 

At the YMCA on Wednesday, Feb. 22, it was clear that the family that puzzles together nuzzles together. 

The Richies and four other families competed to see who could complete a 350-piece jigsaw puzzle of candy jars in the fastest time. Puzzlers could enjoy real candy as they worked.

The winning team would receive a $20 gift card to either the Cup2Cafe or the Buzzards Bay House of Pizza, but most teams weren’t concerned about the prize. All they wanted was to have fun as a family. 

“They could do it individually,” said YMCA Special Events Coordinator Cathy Longfield, “but this is a team effort. It’s creating cooperation. It’s encouraging families to work together and have patience with each other.”

Longfield cackled with excitement and hummed the “Jeopardy” theme song as she watched the puzzlers at work. 

“The pressure is mounting,” she said. “I hope it will last!” 

Sarah entered her family in the contest because Richie works at the YMCA, and they “like to win.”

“That’s because we’re good at stuff, and we’re awesome,” Sarah said. “Right, Jack? Jack is good at everything, and he likes to win.”

The puzzle pieces came in a variety of shapes and sizes. Naomi Key found the mixed sizes difficult, but her teammate Rachel Zaragoza thought they made the puzzle even more fun.

Maria Zaragoza, who is Rachel’s mother and Naomi’s godmother, along with Maria’s niece Tish Lopes, joined forces as Team Kickin’ Butt. 

The four women are puzzle fanatics, and they worked with surgical precision. They separated the pieces by size, color and border, just like they do when they meet up at Maria’s house to do puzzles.  

“It’s calming,” Naomi said. “It’s relaxing. It’s family time. We get to bond.” 

Maria and Lopes previously attended the YMCA’s jigsaw puzzle swap in January.

When Sarah noticed how well Team Puzzle Masters was doing, she made Kristin Ecker and her sons Levi, 7, and Mason, 8, a proposition.

“Does anyone want to defect?” Sarah joked. “I will give you $100 if you trade tables with us.”

She then turned to Longfield and said, “You didn’t hear that.” 

The Eckers enjoy doing jigsaw puzzles as a family.

“Spending time together without distractions and working together to accomplish something is fun for us,” Kristen said. 

Team Kickin’ Butt lived up to its name, completing the puzzle in 50 minutes. That’s an average of seven pieces per minute. 

Lopes said that the hardest part of the competition was the team’s tendency to “get in each other’s way” due to their eagerness to solve the puzzle.

The team chose to win the Buzzards Bay House of Pizza gift card. They plan to hold a pizza party in celebration of their victory.