As today ends National Adult Education and Family Literacy Week, September 12-18, 2011, I’d like to thank the 250 guests making our 18th annual Great Grown Up Spelling Bee a huge success.
On Friday night, Re:Start – The Center for Adult Education gathered 40 spellers at the Waterhouse Pavillion to spell on behalf of GED prep and celebrate those who earn their high school equivalency diploma. The evening began with Mike Dunne, representing County Mayor Jim Coppinger, proclaiming this week as Hamilton County’s Adult Education and Family Literacy Week. Thank you, County Mayor Coppinger. Sponsors secured spellers representing their companies and many individuals stepped out of their comfort zone to spell as many words as they could in one minute. The final five went on to a traditional bee. The contestents and winners will be celebrated soon.
Today I thank the worker bees. the Re:Start development and instructional teams, our volunteers, and board of directors. One hundred percent of the event funded by the board of directors enabled 100 percent of sponsorships and ticket sales raised to support classroom instruction and GED test scholarships.
Thank you to Queen Bee sponsor, Morning Pointe/Independent Healthcare Properties who also sponsored the oldest speller, a 92-year old former educator. Thank you, Chancellor Brown and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Foundation for adopting the Bee in celebration of your 125th anniversary. Congratulations. Re:Start is thankful for the support of the university as we join together to learn from Adult Education and how to teach several generations of dropouts GED prep skills. Rabbit Zielke, Around and About, represented UTC as a guest judge.
Representing Honey Bee sponsor Brewer Media was Bee pronouncer Janis Hasche and the evening’s emcee Zachary Cooper. Thank you Brewer for helping Re:Start raise awareness for this Bee and how the impact of adult education counteracts the cost of a dropout.
A great BBQ meal was provided by Busy Bee sponsor Pannell, Inc and Dockside BBQ and the Terminal provided adult beverages, which made for fun spellers. Thank you, Busy Bees sponsors Luken Holdings and Dale Buchannan and Associates and Bumble Bee sponsors EPB, Astec, Inc and Chambliss, Bahner and Associations, each of whom celebrated spellers and Re:Start’s mission outside of this event.
A Re:Start graduate had the best quote of the evening. “I am 53 years old, but when I walked across that stage in June, I felt like I was 17 again.” Spelling reminds everyone of being young and a chance to Re:Start. Adult Education enables an adult who earns their high school equivalency diploma to become a healthier citizen, a more productive employee, and/or a better parent. Adult Education impacts everyone. At Re:Start, our customers bee-lieve in our instructors and trust the instructors will help them meet their individual goals. We are very thankful to all sponsors for financially supporting our instructors and classrooms. We are extremely thankful for our family and friends for supporting us as we serve Hamilton County, Chattanooga in economic attainment through adult education. Looking forward to celebrating greater success at the 19th annual Great Grown Up Bee same time next year. Blessings.
Lori Hairrell
Executive Director
Re:Start - The Center for Adult Education