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JOIN US FOR A SPELL

 

 

Wilmington, April 1, 2009  – AARP today announced a national call for entries for its 14^th annual AARP National Spelling Bee. Open to anyone age 50+ with the exception of previous winners, contestants will test their spelling skills against some of the best spellers in the country as they compete for more than $1,000 in gifts and prizes. The national event will be held June 20, 2009 in Cheyenne, Wyo. and online registration will be open at www.aarp.org/spellingbee  through June 14^th.

 

“Whether you enjoy reading the dictionary to keep your mind sharp or you just want to meet other like-minded adults, the AARP National Spelling Bee always proves to be exciting and highly competitive,” said AARP’s National Spelling Bee word wizard Brian Greene. “Many of our spellers prepare year-round for this competition and we’re thrilled to be able to continue to provide this forum for adults to challenge themselves.”

The AARP National Spelling Bee consists of two rounds of competition, beginning with a 100-word written competition in the morning, narrowing the field to the top 15 spellers who go on to compete in the oral spelling rounds. Spellers are allowed to miss three words in the oral rounds before being knocked out of the competition.

“Some spellers have told us that they enter the bee because they had performed well in a spelling bee when they were younger, and they want to test themselves again,” Greene said. “What they realize is that a lifetime of learning and reading has made them a much better and more confident speller.”

 

The 2009 AARP National Spelling Bee will be held Saturday, June 20^th at Little America Hotel and Resort in Cheyenne, Wyoming. Registration is $25 per speller which includes lunch, and the hotel offers discounted rates to spellers and their guests who reserve a room by calling 1-800-445-6945. A special trolley tour of historic Cheyenne for spellers and their guests will run from 1 to 4 p.m. Friday, June 19^th and costs $10 per ticket. The Laramie County Library, winner of the prestigious national Best Library of the Year award for 2008, will host a reception for spellers and their guests complete with an all-ages, just-for-fun spelling bee from 4 to 6 p.m. on Friday, June 19^th.

 

AARP’s 2009 National Spelling Bee is sponsored by Merriam-Webster Inc., Wells Fargo Bank, Taco John’s International, the Cheyenne Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, Wyoming Network, Inc. and the Laramie County Library System.

 

Sample word lists, complete rules and additional information can be found at www.aarp.org/spellingbee or by calling the AARP office in Wyoming at 1-866-663-3290.

 

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