Small Town News

Spell-e-brating the good times

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Spellers raise $20,000 for literacy

Veteran spellers came from near and far to test their skills at Mason County Literacy's 18th annual Spell-e-bration Friday at the Shelton Civic Center.

After all of the donations were counted, the event raised about $20,000 for Mason County Literacy, Kris Smock, the non-profit's executive director.

"Financially it counts for about a 10th of our annual budget, and it's pretty important," she said. "It's a little lower than we'd hoped for, but we're happy with it."

Contestants were not thrown off their game by the unfortunate date of the event, Friday the 13th, and spelled their hearts out all night for charity.

Fifteen teams competed in this year's bee, sponsored by organizations from the local Kiwanis and Rotary clubs, to Taylor Shellfish and Green Diamond, to the Shelton Timber-land Library and the Journal.

Despite a noble effort, and a pledge to not offer joke bribes to the judges as most teams did, the Noble Mason Orchard Bees were the first team to fall

to the mostly unheard of words that took teams one-by-one out of the competition.

After eight rounds and a lengthy spell-off, the Car-is-matics, sponsored by Bakala State Farm Insurance, came through with the win on the word "geologize."

The South Puget Sound Community College Spellcats, sponsored by Green Diamond Resource Company, claimed second place, and The Shelton Rotary Rockets, sponsored by the rotary, got third.

"The Shelton Rotary sponsored a team for the first time this year, and their president was in the audience and she said she had so much fun she wants to be on a team next year," Smock said.

The evening wasn't just about the spelling bee though. During breaks, contestants and spectators alike could participate in a live auction, a silent auction and a raffle, with all proceeds going to Mason County Literacy.

Although Literacy didn't raise quite as much money as they'd hoped, Smock said the evening was a definite success.

"It shows strong community support," she said.



Copyright 2011 Shelton-Mason County Journal, Shelton, Washington. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from SmallTownPapers, Inc.

© 2011 Shelton-Mason County Journal Shelton, Washington. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from DAS.

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