As the calendar soon flips to March, I wanted to share a few opportunities that have opened up for me. The first is the 4th-annual Adult Spelling Bee, benefitting Book Drive for Kids.
Yes, a spelling bee—and the best part is that it is for a worthy cause: Kids.
Every Child Needs Books at Home!
Book Drive for Kids is a wildly-popular nonprofit in North Texas, and their goal is to host book drives in various schools and community locations to create a culture of literacy by providing books for disadvantaged children for independent reading.
I grew up with a love of reading thanks to parents and grandparents who instilled in me the love of independent learning. In fact, I still have vivid memories of going to our local library and borrowing the maximum number of books allowed per week. I can’t remember a time when I didn’t read all of the books I’d picked out for that week, from Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys mysteries to historical fiction.
Sadly, that’s not the case for every family.
Many are led by parents who work multiple jobs to put food on the table and keep a roof over their heads. Books are great—they want their kids to have them. But they are seen as a luxury.
Libraries have thousands of books, and yet the majority of their patrons are adults.
How wrong does that feel? Research has shown that children who can do independent reading (outside of a school setting) are more successful in all areas of school. This further drives home the point that lLiteracy is crucial to success in life.
Can You Spell FUNdraiser?
If you didn’t know, I am a past champion of my city and county spelling bees from 8th grade. I am also a recent champion of the Senior Adult Spelling Bee in 2024.
Don’t ask how I qualified for that one!
Last year, my team was the runner-up in a tough contest. Kudos to us!
This year, the team I am on, “That 70’s Team,” is made up of Jen Adame, Darrell Patillo, and myself. Although it would be great to win, the kids who receive books through our efforts are the real winners! There are several contests within the contest as well—fan votes and best costumes are two categories in which we can raise money.
This year’s contest is on Friday, March 6, in Lewisville, TX, and I would love to see you there!
I know, I know … you don’t live near Lewisville and have no idea where it is. That’s OK … you can vote online for our team! Just visit https://bookdriveforkids.com/get-involved/adult-spelling-bee-fundraiser/ and click the “Adult Spelling Bee” link to learn how you can participate and support not only my team but also the mission to get books into the hands of kids who desperately need them.
Every child deserves to own a book, but not every child is given that privilege and opportunity by their family.
Stand in the gap with me to raise those funds needed to purchase books!
And this is just one more way for you to …
Go forth. Be exceptional!
