The Great Grown-Up Spelling Bee

2009 Winners!

First Place (with 57 points)

• Nurse Family Partnership
  Spellers Maria Swiftfoot and Joyce Siegel

Second Place (55 points)

• Your Gull Road Wal-Mart
  Spellers Josh Ouding and David Dietz

Third Place (51 points)

• Public Media Network
  Spellers Brian Zipp and Ben Boggs

Most Enthusiastic Team

• Breakfast Optimist Club

Best Costumes

• SLD Center

Most Creative Cheer

• Western Michigan University

Rookie Team of the Year

• Kalamazoo Literacy Council

Best Bribe for Judges

• Kalamazoo Gazette

Judges' Choice

• KALSEC

More About the Event

Each fall, Ready to Read hosts its annual Great Grown-Up Spelling Bee.  Proceeds from this wild and wacky event go to help purchase books for the Ready to Read program. 100% of net Bee proceeds will be used to buy children’s books; each $3 realized buys a gift book for a child. Last year, we gave away close to 20,000 books.

Features

• Teams of eight adults — two courageous spellers and six outrageous cheerleaders compete
• Prizes awarded for best spelling, best costumes and most enthusiastic, creative cheering
• Complimentary hors d’oeuvres and cash bar
• Event recorded by Community Access television and broadcast on many subsequent dates

Goal

To promote Ready to Read, a community collaboration that encourages early childhood literacy, and to purchase gift books for distribution to Kalamazoo County children. 100% of net Spelling Bee proceeds will be used to buy children’s books; each $3 realized buys a gift book for a child.

Ready to Read distributes books at 38 sites, including medical offices, human services agencies, and emergency food pantries. Last year, we gave almost 20,000 storybooks to children throughout the county.

Become a Spelling Bee Sponsor!

Sponsor a Team 

Ready to Read is now enlisting corporate sponsors to field teams of two intrepid spellers and six enthusiastic cheerleaders at the Great Grown-Up Spelling Bee, which raises funds to purchase gift books for children throughout Kalamazoo County.

In 2008, the Bee raised $33,000 to buy 11,000 gift books. Ready to Read seeks to raise $5,000 more this year to purchase gift books for the Nurse-Family Partnership and two immunization clinics that recently joined the Ready to Read collaboration.

Want to participate but can’t sponsor a team?

• Sponsor a nonprofit organization to compete on your behalf for $500
• Make a book pledge of $250
• Sponsor a letter of the alphabet for just $100

To become a sponsor, please contact Ready to Read or call 269-553-7803

Sorry, spectator tickets no longer available for 2009.

Great Grown-Up Spelling Bee Photos

• 2008 Photos 
• 2007 Photos 
• 2006 Photos 
• 2005 Photos 

Great Grown-Up Spelling Bee Sponsors

• 2008 Sponsors 
• 2007 Sponsors