NORWICH – Finding the right words can be a challenge – that’s what makes Scrabble so popular.
Fans of the word-oriented board game are invited to stake their claim in the Literacy Volunteers of Chenango County’s 7th Annual “Scrabble for Literacy” team tournament Saturday, June 9. It will run from 1 to 4 p.m. inside Morrisville State’s Norwich Campus on Conkey Avenue.
“If you like words – and you like creating words – then you’ll love playing ‘Scrabble for Literacy,’” said organizer Terry Bickford. “It’s just a fun day.”
Those interested in playing can register a 2-4 person team until June 8. Individuals can also sign up, and will be placed with another team the day of the event. The entry fee is $12 per person. Businesses can sponsor a team for $100. To register, make a donation or get more information, call 334-7114 or send an e-mail to LVA@ofcinc.org.
Aside from competing for prizes and vocabulary supremacy, Bickford, who is the Director of Literacy Volunteers, said tournament participants are combating an illiteracy problem that’s prevalent locally by raising much needed awareness and funding.
“It’s a hidden problem,” said Bickford, explaining that many area residents who are illiterate won’t often admit it until it can no longer be avoided. “They can’t fill out job applications, they can’t help their kids with school work, they struggle getting involved with community events – they struggle with their health.”
According to statistics provided by Literacy Volunteers, 14 percent of adults in Chenango County are functionally illiterate (they read at roughly a 4h grade level) and 42 percent have some difficulty with basic reading, writing, and math. Bickford said those numbers have been steady for over 25 years, and could in fact be getting worse based on state data compiled during the last decade.
“It’s a New York state problem that needs to be addressed,” she said.
Bickford believes family influence plays a large role in a person’s illiteracy.
“Student’s don’t see the value if parents don’t,” she said.
Proceeds of “Scrabble for Literacy” will go towards furthering the volunteers’ one-to-one adult tutoring program and school-based initiatives.
The tournament’s main sponsor is The United Church of Christ, First Congregational Church of Norwich.
Literacy Volunteers is a non-profit organization that provides free, one-to-one confidential and learner-centered tutoring to adults seeking help in basic literacy or English as a second language.
Scrabble is a product of the Hasbro Company and was created in 1948. Reportedly one in every three homes owns the game. In Scrabble, players try to get the highest score by organizing lettered-tiles into words on a board. Players build words off of other words and different point values are assigned to each letter.