UPDATE: Celebrity Spelling Bee

Thirteen Local celebrities will risk public humiliation to raise awareness about literacy in Rutherford County at the 2011 All-Star Celebrity Bee. One hundred percent of the funds raised at the Bee stay in the County and provide books, materials, training supplies, and promotional materials for Read To Succeed’s family literacy and adult literacy programs, as well as necessary operational expenses for the local non-profit.

The fifth Celebrity Bee will welcome Celebrity Speller Champions from the 2007 to 2010 Bees. A mix of past winners, runners-up, mayors and a few wildcards will take the stage and battle for the ultimate spelling title: The All-Star Celebrity Spelling Champion.

Celebrity interviews:

Leslie Akins 2007 Celebrity Bee Defender	What word was the word that ended your Celebrity Bee run in 2007? "Precede." How do you feel about that word now? I'm "proceeding" with caution to avoid the mistakes of those who "precede" me in the Bee! Why is it important to you to promote literacy? The enjoyment of a good story is one of life's great pleasures. How tragic it is, to me, for anyone to miss this simple, enriching experience. The written word is one of the greatest gifts that people give to each other, and illiteracy robs us of this interchange.

Rutherford County Mayor Ernest Burgess 2007 Celebrity Bee Speller	What was the hardest word you had to spell at the 2007 Celebrity Bee? "Cavalry." What's your all-time favorite book? “A Team of Rivals” (Book about the Presidency of Abraham Lincoln) Why is it important to you to promote literacy? Reading is the fundamental foundation for learning.

Kristin Demos 2008 Celebrity Bee Speller	What's the hardest word you had to spell at the 2008 Celebrity Bee? "Oregano." What's your "game plan" for the 2011 All-Star Celebrity Bee? Well, since I'm neither a past winner nor even a runner-up, that means I must be an All Star speller for my winning personality. Therefore, I plan to woo the judges with my sweetest smile and if that fails then I'll resort to bribing them with gift certificates from Demos'. Why is it important to you to promote literacy? Literacy is critical because it is plain and simply the foundation for everything we do.
Smyrna Mayor Tony Dover 2010 Celebrity Bee Speller	What's the hardest word you had to spell at the 2010 Celebrity Bee? The one I misspelled that kept me from winning. What's your all-time favorite book? "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" Why is it important to you to promote literacy? Literacy is a core skill needed to survive and thrive in today's world. It is important for people to recognize that there are still people at risk of not being able to reach their full potential because of a lack of literacy.
Barb Ford, The Daily News Journal 2008 Celebrity Bee Champion	With what word did you win the 2008 Bee? Is damnedifiknow a word? What was your favorite subject in school? Flower arranging for 2 credits, or perhaps wine tasting for 3 credits. Favorite book? Jacques Pepin's "La Technique," or, maybe, Martha Foose's "Screen Doors and Sweet Tea."
Murfreesboro City Councilman Toby Gilley 2011 Celebrity Speller	Do you have a "game plan" for the All-Star Celebrity Bee? I'm going to look at new words in the dictionary everyday to increase my vocabulary. What's your all-time favorite book? It's a tie between "The Sun Also Rises" and "A Time To Kill." Why is it important to you to promote literacy? The ability to read and read well provides freedom and limitless possibilities that once possessed, can never be taken away.
Gloria LaRoche 2010 Celebrity Bee Defender	What was the hardest word you had to spell at the 2010 Celebrity Bee? They were all easy until I missed one. What word ended your Bee run? Aristocracy--An easy word that happened to get jumbled up in a sudden case of nerves Favorite book? "An American Tragedy" by Theodore Dreiser. What word do you always have to spell-check? "Allegiance."
LaVergne Mayor Senna Mosley 2011 Celebrity Speller	What's your game plan for the 2011 All-Star Bee? My game plan is to do a lot of praying! What's your all-time favorite book? “Charlotte’s Web.” I remember my 4th grade teacher reading a chapter everyday after lunch. What was your favorite subject in school? I loved Science. Once again because of the teacher. What word do you always have to spell check? Convenience kills me every time!
Gayle Ray, The Moss Group 2010 Celebrity Bee Champion	What’s the hardest word you had to spell at the 2010 Celebrity Bee? I do not remember. If it happened more than two days ago, it’s gone. What's your all-time favorite book? "Pride and Prejudice." What word do you always have to spell-check? "Cemetery" (which is very strange because I grew up in Evergreen Cemetery) Why is it important to you to promote literacy? I am passionate about improving literacy in our state. It is the key to a better life. Without it people are doomed to being marginalized, and since more and more jobs require higher level skills, the illiterate will be lost.
Coach Steve Peterson 2007 Celebrity Speller	What’s the hardest word you had to spell at the 2007 Celebrity Bee? "Sealeberty B." What's your “game plan” for the 2011 All-Star Celebrity Bee? Practice with my grandson. He's 7 years old. What's your all-time favorite book? "MTSU Baseball Media Guide." What was your favorite subject in school? P.E. What word do you always have to spell-check? What is spell check?
Pastor Vincent Windrow 2009 Celebrity Bee Champion	What’s the hardest word you had to spell at the 2009 Celebrity Bee? "Philanthropy." What word did you win the Bee with? "Capricious." What's your all-time favorite book? The Book of Job Why is it important to you to promote literacy? Literacy is a gift that keeps on giving and one that can never be repealed or recalled. Literally, literacy is a generational game changer.
Eagleville Mayor Sam Tune 2010 Celebrity Speller	Do you have a "game-plan" for the 2011 All-Star Celebrity Bee? Call in sick, notify my doctor that I need an excuse. What's your all-time favorite book? "How to be Successful and Not Make a Fool of Yourself." What was your favorite subject in school? I loved all subjects except SPELLING. What word do you always have to spell-check? "Literacy."
Mitchell Murphree Chef, Owner Five Senses Restaurant	What's your “game plan” for the 2011 All-Star Celebrity Bee? Long, sustained drives with some quick hitters and then wow them with my good looks! What's your all-time favorite book? "To Kill a Mockingbird" What was your favorite subject in school? History – am I supposed to say English/Reading here? What word do you always have to spell-check? "Hors d'oeurve."

Read To Succeed has raised $32,000 toward it’s $50,000 goal. It’s not too late to get your name included in the sponsor list:

$5000

Kious, Rodgers, Barger, Holder, Kious, PLLC

$2,500

State Farm Insurance

AT & T

$2,000

Adams Family Foundation

$1,000

Colonial Pipeline

Middle TN Medical Center

Health Services Management, Inc.

MidSouth Bank

Andy and Cherry Womack

Jennings & Rebecca Jones Foundation

Gannett Foundation

$750

John Murray and Elizabeth LaRoche

Joe and Julia Powell

$500

Auto Art

Murfreesboro Breakfast Rotary

John and Betsy Barton

Bud's Tire Pros

Greg and Minh-Triet Tucker

Bill Taylor's Bushido School of Karate

Murfreesboro Medical Clinic

Murfreesboro Electric Department

First National Bank

Demos' Restaurant

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.

UPDATE: Celebrity Spelling Bee

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