by Jessica Clark
When you hear the words “spelling bee,” let me guess what comes to mind. An awkward looking kid in glasses and pants that are a few inches too short with a number around his neck standing in front of a microphone, sweat beading on his forehead while he shifts nervously from one foot to the other and leans in to stammer, “Can I have the origin of the word please?”
Spelling Bees look something like this right? (Photo credit: AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
There are two problems with that image. One—it may be the least flattering picture of a spelling bee for school-aged participants ever. Two—it does NOTHING to explain how FUN The Literacy Center’s Adult Mountain Spelling Bee is!
Erase all of your preconceptions about quiet, tense auditoriums filled with anxious parents on the edges of their seats each wondering whether their kid is going to spell “onomatopoeia” correctly. TLC’s Mountain Spelling Bee is a whole different kind of event. Here’s what you can expect when you come:
That’s more like it!
Dinner and Drinks
No high school auditoriums for this event! At the Mountain Spelling Bee, you’ll sit down to a delicious dinner with the other bee participants in High Country Conference Center’s BEE-utiful ballroom. Guests get their choice of mouthwatering entrees (chicken picatta or vegetarian pasta) plus a scrumptious salad and a sweet surprise dessert. Oh and did I mention the cash bar? You definitely won’t find one of those at a kids’ spelling bee!
Team Spirit!
That’s right, I said TEAM. Three spellers make up a Mountain Spelling Bee team, and each round they get to consult one another on the proper spelling of their words. But that’s not the half of it! Spelling teams come up with killer team names, wear themed costumes, and recruit their friends to cheer them on. If you’ve never see a room full of costumed adults shouting back and forth at one another about how “my team spells better than yours!” you don’t want to miss this event.
Cheating
So did I mention the Mountain Spelling Bee is a fundraiser? To that end, we give our teams the opportunity to buy “word pass coupons” that allow them to pass an especially hard word on to the next team. It can be a little cutthroat!
Audience Enthusiasm
Even if you’re not one of the crazy costumed cheerleaders, we’ll get you involved. The Mountain Spelling Bee’s schedule is filled with games that get our dinner guests up and moving or spelling right along with the teams. You can also bid on our amazing silent auction packages and—with a little luck and a little cunning—take home some fantastic prizes.
Now you’re picturing a different kind of spelling bee!
think literacy 
Yes, please consider joining us for the Literacy Center’s Mountain Spelling Bee! You will have a terrific time while helping us raise funds for adult literacy.
This is totally fabulous. If I were in Arizona, I would be attending and having a great time. As it is, you have no idea how much I want to replicate this idea in Colorado. Best of all times to you!
The Nerdettes hope you’ll all come and have a bunch of fun!!! It’ll be great to see who the top spellers are — and who wins the spirit prize!
I think some people come just to see what kind of costumes the Nerdettes have cooked up! 🙂
Thanks! The Nerdettes promise we won’t disappoint you!