CLE Bee is The Literacy Cooperative’s largest fundraiser, which provides critical revenue to the organization each year. The event also serves as an opportunity to update the community on the state of literacy. Set for September 20, 2023, at Windows on the River; registration and cocktail hours begin at 5:00, the program should start around 6:00. It will include, the competition, TLC mission moments, sponsor content, food/drinks, and other bits of levity. This is not a traditional boring gala, CLE Bee is A LOT of FUN! The competition is an ADULT (team) spelling bee. Teams are comprised of three people who work together to spell the words so no one person is under the spotlight. Answers are written and not given verbally (this is how it differs from the Scripps bee), teams write their answers on a whiteboard and reveal them before the time is up. All teams will compete in a preliminary round against 5-6 other teams. The top team from each round moves to the finals. Teams will spell all the words in the preliminary round (around 10-15 words, think words like “hygge”). One team takes home the title of CLE Bee Champion! Funding from this event supports the mission of The Literacy Cooperative, which is to advance literacy through raising awareness, advocating for public support of literacy initiatives, and strengthening the network to improve literacy across the lifespan.