Published: May 06, 2008 07:54 am            

Key Club defends spelling title Wednesday

By Cristin Ross

cross@jacksonvilleprogress.com

Vacuum or vaccuum? Maintenance or maintanence? They’re, there or their? Where’s Webster when you need him?

Local wordsmiths will spell off from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday at the Norman Activity Center in Jacksonville during the annual Corporate Spelling Bee sponsored by the Jacksonville Literacy Council.

“We always have so much fun,” event coordinator Nancy Sonntag said. “We have as much or more fun than that movie ‘Aquila and the Bee.’”

Last year’s winners, the Jacksonville Key Club team (sponsored by the Jacksonville Kiwanis Club), will defend its champion speller status against teams from Franklin Bank, the Crisis Center of Anderson and Cherokee Counties (sponsored by Austin Bank); Jacksonville Police Department (sponsored by the Jacksonville Career Women’s Civic Club); Trinity Mother Frances Healthcare System-Jacksonville; East Texas Medical Center-Jacksonville; Jacksonville Independent School District; the city of Jacksonville (sponsored by Love’s Nest); and Grace Visiting Nurses.

Tickets are $10, which includes lunch catered by Sadler’s. Get tickets at the Literacy Council, the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce or by calling 903-586-6125. Tickets can also be purchased at the door the day of the event. Ticket delivery is available.

“We open the buffet for lunch promptly at 11:30 a.m., so people can get lunch as soon as possible,” Sonntag said. “I’ve tried to streamline it as much as possible.”

The winner receives a trophy. The first team struck out receives a sportsmanship trophy as well. A spirit stick will also be awarded to the team that received the most support.

        

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