The third annual Adult Literacy Center of Ozaukee County Spelling Bee, #spellersofoz was a great success! Congratulations to our Spelling Bee winners: The Good Witches, sponsored by the Coerper Maurer Foundation, and made up of ALC tutors Penny Eichers, Sheila Nero and Amy Starke. This years contest, held at the River Club of Mequon, was unique in that five teams were saved by their buy back, re-entry certificate after misspelling words. It added fun, drama and suspense to the competition and helped ALC to raise a few more dollars to support their literacy services. Second place was won by the 2018 Spelling Bee Champions, The Spelling Beetles of Grace Lutheran Church. The Willow Bees made up of Blume Family Siblings finished third. The Willow Bees won the first ever Spelling Bee in 2017. We're Off to Spell Some Big Words, sponsored by Holden& Hahn, S.C. were awarded the Spirit Award by the event judges.
The highlight of the evening came during the "Building the Road to Success" segment designed to raise financial support for ALC students, a number of whom participated in the evening with their tutors. Attendees could demonstrate their support by purchasing one yellow brick for $25 to pave the road to success for the students. $25 covers the cost of tutoring one student for one week. Although students pay a minimal fee, funds to serve ALC students come from Individual donations, corporate sponsorship, grants, religious organizations and civic groups. ALC has an annual fundraising goal of $75,000. The generous Spelling Bee attendees purchased enough bricks to pave the road for three students to get to the emerald city for one year! This was a humbling moment and ALC owes a deep debt of gratitude to all attendees.
ALC students are committed to making a better life for themselves and their families. Besides growing academically, improved literacy skills allows students to develop life skills like completing a job application, preparing for a job interview, going grocery shopping, having a doctor appointment or helping their children with homework. Many of us take these skills for granted. ALC serves individuals learning English, preparing for the Citizenship Interview and Test, pursuing a General Equivalency Degree, working on Adult Basic Education or needing support with college courses.
The success of the event could not occur without the support of our community. Thank you to the sponsors, teams, judges, spectators, our MC Doug Jarecki, the Spellers of Oz planning committee, volunteers and the ALC Board of Directors. You are all smart, courageous, loving and always have a home at ALC!
Thanks to our
Spelling Bee Teams and Sponsors:
1. Bee Well
Sponsored by Aurora Health Care, Inc.
2. The Yellow Brick Rhodes (MT Sunrise Rotary)
Sponsored by Bob Blazich
3. Willow Bees
The Blume Family
4. The Good Witches (ALC Tutors)
Sponsored by Coerper Maurer Foundation
5. OZcars (Oscar Grady Library)
Sponsored by Charter Manufacturing, Inc.
6. Grafton Grammar (Grafton Public Library)
Sponsored by Fiduciary Real Estate Development
7. Spelling Beetles
Grace Lutheran Church
8. We’re Off to Spell Some Big Words
Sponsored by Holden & Hahn, S.C.
9. Rok Stars
Erica Longworth
10. There’s No Place Like North Shore Bank
Sponsored by North Shore Bank
11. The Spelling Bees
Sponsored by Port Washington State Bank