Healthy Learners hosts annual adult spelling bee fundraiser

Tuesday, October 07, 2025

Tags: Healthy Learners , Outreach

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Healthy Learners Greenwood recently hosted its annual Adult Spelling Bee, in memory of George Nolan, with adults showing off their spelling skills. Teams of four battled it out, word by word, in a quest for orthographic glory - all to support children in Greenwood, South Carolina, with access to essential health care.

The Greenwood Index Journal covered the event. The full text of the Index Journal article is below or available here.

Bee-Lievable: Spellers put pride on the line to promote healthy learning

By Robert Jordan
Index Journal

Everybody thinks they can spell. Then there is spelling well.

More than 100 people gathered for what was for some, a humbling experience. An adult spelling bee raised money for Healthy Learners, a nonprofit that provides health services for students. It also raised hopes for some, doused it for others and thrilled a fortunate few.

The most fortunate few represented The Associated Reformed Presbyterian (ARP) Church of Greenwood, which earned first place. Second place went to MNM Book Club, and Team Nolan won third place.

Each four-person team could use buy-backs to stay in competition if it spelled a word incorrectly. In at least one case, a team member told a volunteer to: “Take our money.”

Stress levels soared as words got harder in each of four rounds. Groans erupted as the correct spellings for “derriere” and “rhododendron” were announced. One speller apologized to his teammates, saying: “I feel like I’m letting you down all of a sudden.”

The word that stumped the final teams was “sfumato.” The definition is the form in painting without abrupt outline by the blending of one tone into another. Since everyone missed that word, the tie-breaker was the number of buy-backs used per team. The ARP church had used the fewest of the remaining teams.

The Adult Spelling Bee is the top fundraiser for Healthy Learners, said Aimee Clark, a community manager with the group, at Thursday’s event that was presented at the gym at Emerald High School.

Healthy kids are better learners and they can help make a better community, she said.

The nonprofit serves students who face health issues that might impact learning in Greenwood School Districts 50, 51 and 52, Clark said. Members can provide transportation for medical visits and help supply medications to schools.

If parents don’t have a car, live in a rural area or can’t get off work, volunteers can help arrange delivery of medications, she said. Last year, the nonprofit served more than 400 students.

It also works with school nurses to provide health screenings for students, she said. The idea is to help identify problems and to be part of the solution.

Members are grateful for the support and help from doctors and dentists, Clark said.

“We live in a great community that is very philanthropic,” she said.

Friends of Healthy Learners meets at 3:30 on the fourth Thursday of each month from February to November. For information, visit www.healthylearners.com.

Healthy Learners is a ministry of the Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine.