2019 Spelling Bee

(April 18, 2019)

Taunton Area School to Career or TASC, a program of Associates for Human Services Inc., held its 15th annual Business-Education Spelling Bee recently in the Taunton High School Auditorium. It was another fun evening and the most successful edition of this fundraising event yet, with 21 teams participating plus 25 business and individual sponsorships.

The TASC Spelling Bee 2019 Champion was the Rotary Club of Taunton, which had won the Community Division to advance into the Championship final round of competition. The Rotary Club gets to display the coveted TASC Bee silver cup trophy until next year’s event. The Webster Bank team was runner-up, having gained their place in the final round by winning the Finance Division. The team from Sylvia & Quinn came in third, after an extended tiebreaking victory over a new team from LAER Realty Partners that made for a compelling finish in the Business Division.

Teams of three adults from the registering business or group, plus two high school students, a senior and a junior, comprised the teams. Seniors were seeking to win one of three college scholarships of $1,000, $500, or $250, which were sponsored respectively by Bristol County Savings Bank, Rockland Trust and TMLP. Juniors in the top three teams won a Kindle Fire and Amazon gift cards of $100, $50, and $25. Each round of competition involved the teams agreeing on the spelling of ten words.

During the April 10th event, Program Director Dan LeBrun recognized and thanked the person who came up with the Spelling Bee idea nearly 16 years ago. Jacqueline Scungio, a former TASC Board member, was presented a plaque of appreciation, for “Inspiring 15 years of TASC Fun and Fundraising”.

Some of the key volunteers generously giving their time in support of this community event Included: Mayor Tom Hoye, who was again MC; Taunton Public Schools (TPS) Superintendent John Cabral, who had perhaps the evening’s toughest role as Word Pronouncer; Karen Reamsnyder of Raynham Veterinary Hospital as head judge, plus David Tipping of Bristol County Savings Bank and Robin VanRotz from Bristol County Agricultural HS as the other two judges; scorekeeper Mary Ann Jablonski and time keeper Paul Allison. TASC also acknowledges TPS for use of the Taunton High School Auditorium; TPS Performing Arts Coordinator James Frye and site liaison Ally Golder; Steve Jacques and his Taunton Educational Network and media students for Cable TV taping; TPS Food Service Dept. and nine local pizza shops for their food donations.

For their community involvement and support of greater Taunton youth, TASC applauds all the businesses, organizations and individuals who registered a team, became a sponsor, made in-kind donations! Proceeds from the Spelling Bee enable TASC provide important Career Development Education opportunities for local youth at our three partnership high schools: Bristol County Agricultural, Taunton Alternative, and Taunton High.

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