Salina Public Library’s Adult Spelling Bee raises $4,500 for youth department remodel

By: KATIE ZEY

Salina Public LIbrary

The Salina Public Library turned up the volume on vocabulary this past Saturday with its first-ever Adult Spelling Bee Showdown, a delightfully nerdy night of competition, laughter, and community spirit.

Sponsored by Hutton Design + Build, the event brought in a full house of spellers and spectators, raising over $4,500 to support the library’s Re-Imagining Our Library initiative. Funds will go toward transforming the Library’s Youth Services department into a more dynamic, accessible, and welcoming space for Salina’s young people and families.

Ten teams of four faced off in a bracket-style tournament that proved spelling isn’t just for kids. Each player had to take the mic every round — no phones, no writing, and no spellcheck — just teamwork, guts, and a few strategic twists. Before the showdown, teams could buy limited-use “advantage passes” for a do-over or a new word, and any team following a misspelled word could steal it on the spot.

Between the nail-biting tie-breakers and the clever passes, it was clear: Salina is full of sharp spellers and quick thinkers. The result was a high-stakes, high-hilarity evening filled with gasps, giggles, and plenty of unexpected upsets — including strong finishes from the “Wildcard” teams, made up of individuals who signed up solo and were paired with strangers just before the event. With no shared history or prep time, two of these wildcard teams still cracked the top three.

The final results:

First Place: Wildcard #4 — Tim Ault-Duell, Julia Frank, Lynda Ryan, and Mary Chegwidden
Second Place: Wildcard #3 — Ashley Will, Nikki Goding, Amy Sixbury, and Mark Messenger
Third Place: Stogen & Co — Brenda Stoss, Larry Stoss, Marie Stoss, and Michelle Wiesner

<b>from left to right</b>: Julia Frank, Lynda Ryan, Mary Chegwidden and Tim Ault-Duell (1st place team, Wildcard #4); photo courtesy of Salina Public Library — **from left to right**: Julia Frank, Lynda Ryan, Mary Chegwidden and Tim Ault-Duell (1st place team, Wildcard #4); photo courtesy of Salina Public Library

“We loved seeing adults cut loose and have fun with something so classically academic,” said Allyson Walker, SPL Head of Fundraising & Development. “It reminded us how powerful libraries can be in bringing people together, in smart, silly, joyful ways.”

Thanks to the energy and enthusiasm of the teams, audience, and sponsors, the evening was a true community win, and a big boost to an exciting library transformation.

For more information on theRe-Imagining Our Libraryinitiative or ways to support the project, visit: salinapubliclibrary.org/re-imagining-our-library