Bee all that you can bee

From apotropaic (to ward off evil) to zyzzyva (a tropical weevil), the Altrusa/Literacy Council Spelling Bee takes its 18th annual opportunity to stump the local chumps on Thursday, May 29, hoping to best last year’s fundraising record of $34,000.

The gymkhana (contest to test skills) benefits the Literacy Council of Buncombe County, which currently serves some 250 county residents, with 80 on the waiting list. Students, mostly adults, are paired with volunteer tutors who help them learn to read or write well enough to perform day-to-day activities more effectively, or to become better-functioning employees. An estimated 40,000 county residents are eligible for the Council’s volunteer-tutor services—some needing basic education, others needing to learn English as a second language.

And it will be the English language that’s on trial when community teams compete for the honor of being declared the spellingest fools around. The hymenopterans (bees) will come from such intellectual strongholds as Asheville City Schools, Beaver Dam Run Book Club, A-B Tech, Smith Barney, The Givens Estates, the Asheville Citizen-Times and Mountain Xpress. (Note: The obscure words listed above are from the study sheets provided for the match.)

The big spell will be cast at 7 p.m. in A-B Tech’s Ferguson Auditorium, co-hosted by Altrusa International of Asheville and the Literacy Council; admission is $5. Donations may also be mailed directly to the Literacy Council, 86 Victoria Road, Building B, Asheville, NC, 28801. Don’t leave them impecunious (lacking money)!

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.