Spelling Aficionados Invited to Support New Haven Reads

New Haven Reads will host its inaugural Community Spelling Bee on Friday, October 26 from 7 – 9 p.m. on the University of New Haven campus at Dodds Hall. The event will raise funds to continue and enhance literacy programs offered by New Haven Reads.

Up to 40 teams of three, consisting of students, teachers, business professionals and citizens,will compete in an affable and vivacious competition to spell increasingly difficult words. Spellers 16 years and older are invited to participate. This is a great opportunity fora spirited competition among local businesses, colleges and universities and professional organizations in the New Haven area.

Teams will be encouraged to create a team name, wear unique team T-shirts or dress in costumes celebrating Halloween, and bring a cheering section. The public is invited to enjoy the serious and light-hearted spellers as they tackle difficult words and compete for various prizes and capture the winner's trophy.

Audience attendance is free, although New Haven Reads suggests spelling aficionados donate $5 to enter.

Become SPELLBOUND! There will also be opportunities to support this exciting event through sponsorship and volunteering. Visit www.newhavenreads.org to register a team, volunteer your time or learn about sponsorship opportunities.

ABOUT NEW HAVEN READS
Founded in 2001 by Chris Alexander as a community book bank, New Haven Reads has grown so that every week it hands out hundreds of books and tutors more than 450 children.

Ten years on, her legacy to the Greater New Haven community is the transformation of a powerful idea to a thriving center of literacy. Those in which she has instilled her vision will continue to work to ensure a sustainable model that will provide quality books and tutoring to as many as possible within our community.

The mission of New Haven Reads is “to share the joy and power of reading.” Our goals are to promote literacy and celebrate reading; connect people with the materials and the training they need to break the cycle of illiteracy; help children in New Haven increase their literacy skills by providing quality, free after-school tutoring services to those who otherwise would not have access to adequate literacy support; increase public awareness of these programs and operate a free community book bank.

Working in partnership with families and the community, New Haven Reads envisions a Greater New Haven in which every child has the opportunity to master reading and increase the odds of becoming a successful adult. Our volunteer-based one-on-one tutoring programs, our BookBank, and our family support initiatives will serve as a national model for other communities.