Reaching Heights announces 30th annual spelling bee

Fairfax Founding Fathers team had fun singing the spelling of their word in the musical round of the 2019 Reaching Heights Community Spelling Bee. This year's bee will again be held remotely, as it was in 2020.

Reaching Heights' Community Spelling Bee is going virtual for the second consecutive year. 

For 30 years, Reaching Heights has presented this competitive event to bring the community together for fun and to raise money in support of excellence in public education. This year, the spelling bee will take place on Wednesday, April 28. 

Teams of competitors from the Cleveland Heights-University Heights community, representing its public schools, local businesses, churches, colleges and universities, and The Cleveland Orchestra, are gearing up to compete for the coveted Big Plastic Bee Trophy. 

Although last year’s event was virtual, more than 400 people watched as the Dewey Decimators—staff members of the CH-UH libraries—captured the prize and maintained their multi-year winning streak.

This year, Reaching Heights is trying something new. Competitors will need to brush up on their knowledge of trivia because, for the third round, teams will have an opportunity to answer a trivia question that will earn a “pass,” which can be used to excuse a spelling error made during that round.

Anyone interested in participating in the 30th Annual Reaching Heights Spelling Bee, or in becoming a sponsor for this zany, exciting event should contact Jen Holland, event chairperson, at jen@reachingheights.org.