Re:Start - The Center for Adult Education invites Chattanooga to a night of barbecue, bar and spelling bee at the 18th annual Great Grown Up Spelling Bee to support adult education in the community.
The Sept. 16 event begins at 6 p.m. in the Waterhouse Pavilion at Miller Plaza. Individual tickets cost $55 and couple's tickets are available for $85. Tickets are available online and Re:Start representatives will be at the Chattanooga Market Sunday Sept. 11 selling tickets.
There is a strong correlation between Re:Start's work and a spelling bee, said Executive Director Lori Hairrell. When clients come in to discuss adult education they often feel vulnerable, much like they would on stage in a spelling bee, she said.
According to Hairrell, the Great Grown Up Spelling Bee is a board-funded event with all of the funds raised that night going directly to Re:Start's programming, which primarily focuses on GED preparation and educational programs for new mothers.
The event itself will feature an open bar, a barbecue meal and the actual spelling bee. Hairrell said anyone attending the event is eligible to spell, but only the first 40 to sign up before or at the event will be able to compete. Words in the bee will be related to Re:Start's mission, vision and values, she said.
The bee will consist of four busy bee rounds where 10 spellers will correctly spell as many words as possible during a one-minute period. Guest judges like Rabbit Zielke from WUTC FM 88.1 will officiate the event and promote the winners of the busy bee rounds to a traditional spelling bee.
The event coincides with the National Adult Education and Family Literacy week which begins Sept. 12, said Hairrell. According to Re:Start, Tennessee's oldest education organization, educated adults have greater economic opportunity, are less vulnerable to those who would take advantage, are less likely to live in poverty and make more productive citizens and better parents, which ultimately makes Chattanooga a better place to live.