A frolic through the dictionary gave the community a fun way to get involved in helping adults learn to read. The third annual Adult Spelling Bee, held October 14 at the Scott Conference Center, raised more than $20,000 for theLiteracy Center.
Enthusiasm for words and spelling comes from the knowledge that words make life better, which is the motto of the Literacy Center, says Executive Director Kirsten Case.
Ten community and corporate teams of three adults each tested their word-knowledge and spell-ability. While the competition was friendly, it was also fierce as the logophiles vied for trophies including: Best of Hive – Omaha Public Library; Runner-up Best of Hive – Omaha World Herald; Best Costume – Volunteers from the Literacy Center; Best Team Spirit – Shamrock Development.
The audience of 130 included closet bibliophiles and philomaths, who took part in an audience spelling quiz. Expert speller Jenny Solheim, a semi finalist in the 2011 Scripps National Spelling Bee, was on hand to offer expert advice to the contestants.
For more information about the Literacy Center, please call (402) 342-7323 or visit them online at www.midlandslitearcy.org.