TEXARKANA -- The Twin Cities will bee different this spring.
The annual Spelling Bee fundraiser for the Literacy Council of Bowie and Miller Counties will have an updated format in its 30th year, according to a news release. This year's event will function more like spelling, grammar and vocabulary trivia.
The fundraiser is a long-standing Texarkana tradition, and organizers hope the update brings in more support, said Jenny Walker, Literacy Council board member.
"We have struggled in the last few years to get teams for the Spelling Bee. I think people have become hesitant to spell very challenging words on a stage in front of an audience. We hope this new approach can be a more inviting way to boost participation in our largest fundraiser of the year," she said.
Those interested in participating in the new trivia-style contest can purchase a ticket at the door for $25. The ticket includes dinner.
The event will also include a draw down with a $5,000 jackpot. Draw down tickets cost $100 and include dinner for two. They can be purchased from any member of the Literacy Council board of directors or online at literacytxk.org/fundraiser. Draw down ticket purchasers do not have to be present to win.
There will also be a silent auction available for those attending.
The Literacy Council is a Texarkana-based 501c3 non-profit organization and counts on this event each year to cover general operating costs that often are not allowable expenses from grants. For more information on the Literacy Council, visit literacytxk.org.
The fundraiser is scheduled for 6 p.m. Saturday, April 13, at Silvermoon on Broad, 217 W. Broad St.