The 2011 All-Star Celebrity Bee will take place this coming Tuesday night at Patterson Park Community Center, but Read To Succeed accepts donations toward the Celebrity Bee through November, and all year round, of any size.
Volunteer needs fluctuate, too, but Read To Succeed Executive Director Lisa Mitchell says the organization can always find way to put willing volunteers to work.
Read To Succeed has raised $46,000 so far toward its $50,000 goal
“Read To Succeed manages on a very small budget,” Mitchell says, “but each year the Celebrity Bee fills a greater percentage of our needs.”
During tough economic times, this fund-rising success shows how many in our community understand the importance of literacy.
In Rutherford County, census statistics estimate that 44 percent of adults read at or below the average third grade level. In 2010, only 42 percent of third-graders were reading at a proficient level. Local non-profit Read To Succeed works to address these fundamental problems head-on in Rutherford County with its family and adult literacy programs.
You’ve probably heard of Read To Succeed through its annual Reading in the Schools Day, which brings more than a thousand volunteers into local schools to read to more than 24,000 students. The non-profit also holds dozens of literacy events each year for students and their families at local Title 1 schools, as well as offering one-on-one tutoring program for adults. Read To Succeed also creates ESL classes throughout the County and hosts yearly events and programs such as Reading Rally at Linebaugh Library in Murfreesboro and Smyrna and the La Vergne Library, One Book Community Read, UNPLUG & Read! week, the Write Now Essay Contest for middle-schoolers, the Read To Bee spelling contest for sixth graders, and the Express Yourself Arts Conference for high-school students. All donations to Read To Succeed are used only in Rutherford County and provide, among other things, books, materials, training supplies, and promotional materials for Read To Succeed. (For more information on Read To Succeed programming, please visit readtosucceed.org.)
The All-Star Celebrity Bee, in an effort to raise awareness about literacy, highlights thirteen local celebrities who are willing to risk humiliation by spelling in public. Organizers will welcome Celebrity Bee Champions and spellers from the 2007 to 2010 Bees Tuesday at Patterson Park Community Center. A mix of past winners, runners-up, mayors and a few wildcards will take the stage and battle for the All-Star Celebrity Bee Championship.
Reigning 2010 Celebrity Bee Champion Gayle Ray says she’s concerned she used all her brains to win last year’s Celebrity Bee. Since the 2008 and 2009 Champions, Barb Ford and Vincent Windrow seem ready to give her stiff completion for the 2011 All-Star title. Organizers are quick to say that past second-placers, Leslie Akins (2007) and Gloria LaRoche (2010) may be the ones to beat, with Rutherford County Mayor Ernest Burgess a definite contender.
A special Bicentennial Bee will start off the evening’s entertainment, celebrating the 200th anniversary of the founding of Murfreesboro. MTSU Dean Mike Vile, attorney John Blankenship, Roy Lee, and David Cummings will don costumes from the period and provide a wee bit of entertaining education through their characters of President Madison, Capt. William Lytle, Col. Hardy Murfree, and Thomas Rucker.
It’s not too late to donate to the Celebrity Bee—every dollar supports literacy programming, and fostering awareness of the importance of literacy in our community. Sponsorships of the 2011 All-Star Celebrity Bee are still available. Contact Shawn McFarland at mshawnmcfarland@yahoo.com or (615) 738-7323. Donations may be made and tickets to the Celebrity “Buzz” Dinner and Celebrity Bee purchased at celebritybee.readtosucceed.org using PayPal or by check to Read To Succeed, PO Box 12161, 37129 for $50 per person.
The 2011 All-Star Celebrity Bee Sponsor at the $5,000 level is local law firm Kious, Rodgers, Barger, Holder and Kious, PLLC. $2,500 Sponsors are AT & T, Bridgestone Americas Fund Trust, and State Farm Insurance; $1,000 and above sponsors include Colonial Pipeline, Gerald and Joanne Coggin, Health Service Management, Inc., Joe and Julia Powell, MidSouth Bank, Middle Tennessee Medical Center, John Murray and Elizabeth LaRoche, Andy and Cherry Womack, Jennings and Rebecca Jones Foundation, and the Adams Family Foundation.
$500 and above supporters include Auto Art Body Shop, Inc., Ernest and Peggy Burgess, Drs. David and Lisa Stanley, John and Betsy Barton, Bill Taylor’s Bushido School of Karate, Demos’ Restaurant, Janet Camp, First National Bank, Murfreesboro Breakfast Rotary, the Murfreesboro Electric Dept., Murfreesboro Medical Clinic, Greg and Minh-Triet Tucker, Bud’s Tires Pros, Backer EHP, and Ted and Gloria LaRoche. Supporters $250 and above include Jeff and Kristina Brown, Matt and Angie Chambers, Chancellor Bob Corlew, Brian Coleman: Edward Jones, Robert and Carmen Greenberg, Ivan and Nancy Duggin, Jimmy and Carla Hart, John and Marilyn Hood, Mid-State Surgery: Mark and Leslie Akins, Andy and Lisa Mitchell, Brian and Janet Lee, Utpal and Tina Patel, Joe and Ronni Shaw, Chad and Dawn White, Reeves-Sain Family Medical Services, Shawn and Bette McFarland, Merck Partnership for Giving, Dr. David R. Sain, and WGNS Radio.
Five Senses will provide the Celebrity “Buzz” Dinner starting at 6 pm, with the Celebrity Bee starting at 7 pm at the Patterson Park Community Center thanks to Read To Succeed partner Murfreesboro Parks and Recreation Department.
Cheer On Your Favorite Speller
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2011 All-Star Celebrity Bee Spellers:
Mayors: Ernest Burgess Tony Dover Sam Tune Sienna Mosley
Previous Bee Winners: Barb Ford Vincent Windrow Gayle Ray
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Previous Runners-up: Leslie Akins Gloria LaRoche
Previous Funny Folk: Steve Peterson Kristin Demos
New Celebs! Toby Gilley Mitchell Murphree
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