A Spelling Bee for Cheaters | Civic Center

Submitted by the Event Organizer

The first-ever Spelling Bee for Cheaters is serious stuff…

826 Valencia hosts this fundraiser in conjunction with the creators of the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. It’s a tournament that tests not only the word-wisdom of the contestants, but also their ability to sneakily, filthily, and shamelessly cheat.

Why would we encourage such vile and pusillanimous behavior? Because it’s a fundraiser, with proceeds benefiting our free student programming. Trump famous authors and other celebrities, win an almost embarrassingly large trophy, and cover yourself in ill-gotten glory!

Try out-spelling the likes of…

• Michael Chabon (Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist of the Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Klay)
• Daniel Handler (aka Lemony Snicket)
• Thao Nguyen (with the Get Down Stay Down, a local musician)
• Lisa Brown (wife of Daniel Handler and illustrator in her own right)
• Adam Savage (of “Mythbusters”)
• and many more of the teams signed already…

Sign up today with your team or as an individual to participate. Registration is completely free... except that, of course, you must raise money: Each team must raise a minimum of $1,000 to compete in the Spelling Bee.

So, I can buy cheats? Like what?
Contestants fundraise for the ability to cheat. The more money you raise, the more cheats you have.

• I before E? ($500): You may request one letter hint (limit 3 in a row).
• Try again ($750): Spelled your word wrong? Not so fast! For $750, we’ll let you try again.
• Ask your team ($1,000): Ask your team for their opinion.
• Look it up ($1,500): One speller may consult the dictionary before spelling the word.
• Free pass ($5,000): You don’t even have to spell anything! You may skip to the next round.
• Immunity ($25,000): You’re basically invincible! Any team that raises over $25,000 will automatically advance to the final round.

Don’t fancy cheating yourself, but want to check out the action? Tickets, starting at $25, are here.

Disclaimer: Please double check event information with the event organizer as events can be canceled, details can change after they are added to our calendar, and errors do occur.