United Way invites community to participate in annual Spelling Bee

United Way of Greater Lorain County is expanding its annual Spelling Bee fundraiser to include a history, art, science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) competition.

The event titled, “A Week at the Bee,” will feature teams of up to three adults competing for cash prizes, according to a news release from United Way.

The gameplay will be pre-recorded virtually and premiere on YouTube during the week of May 10, the release said.

“We’re excited to be able to take Spellebrate to the next level,” said United Way of Greater Lorain County’s campaign chair Kyle Maurer. “This annual event is as entertaining as it is impactful, so we’re hoping to expand upon both by giving more people an opportunity to participate.

“Some people were hesitant about spelling, so they may have missed out in the past. Now, we have three other ways for people to join the fun, including history, my personal favorite, which means one fun day has turned into an entire week, and all for a great cause.”

Team registration is $60 per competition or $200 to play in all four competitions.

Individual competitions offer a $240 prize for first place and teams that play in all four competitions will compete to win an additional $960.

Teams also will have the opportunity to crowdfund to earn additional advantages in the competition such as bonus points, hints and extra time.

All proceeds from the event will be used to support the local United Way’s six community collaboratives focused on kindergarten readiness and middle school success in communities throughout Lorain County.

In total, the agency’s collaborative model combines the efforts and expertise of over 150 crosssector partners in the areas of health, education and financial stability.

“Now, more so than ever, collaboration and wrap around services for education are imperative,” said Ryan Aroney, president/CEO of United Way of Greater Lorain County.