Five teams of students with a passion for spelling and reading and a penchant for video storytelling are making plans for an expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C., as the Finalists of the 2017 Spellebrity Video Contest.
The Finalists of the competition, which was created by the Scripps National Spelling Bee and its presenting sponsor, Kindle, include teams in Chandler, Arizona; Valencia, California; Lawrence, Kansas; Oneonta, New York; and Cedar Park, Texas.
After three weeks of voting by the public, thousands of fans chose their favorites from 10 Semifinalists. The winning teams will join the festivities as spectators of Bee Week, May 29-June 2, in National Harbor, Maryland.
Teams of kids from across the country produced creative videos that spell out how to kindle the love of reading. This is the second year for the contest, which timed up with National Reading Month in March.
“The entries for this year were once again a delight,” said Paige Kimble, executive director of the Scripps National Spelling Bee. “Our winners put so much thought into their storylines and characters, and some even included makeup and costumes. We see this contest as another way to recognize the power of reading to improve lives. We appreciate the effort and so do the thousands of fans who voted to give these students an opportunity to experience all that is memorable and inspiring about Bee Week.”
Finalists:
· Bigham Yago | Valencia, California | Rio Norte Junior High, Tesoro del Valle Elementary
· Bryn with a Bee | Lawrence, Kansas | Southwest Middle School
· Kindle Cousins | Oneonta, New York; Orem, Utah; Salt Lake City, Utah | Evergreen Junior High, Highland Park Elementary, Oneonta Middle School, Windsor Elementary
· Team Champion | Chandler, Arizona | Champion Chandler Charter School, Kyrene Traditional Academy
· The Fab Four | Cedar Park, Texas | Westside Elementary School
Prizes:
· The Finalist teams win:
o Economy airfare or train fare for each team member and a parent/guardian
o One standard hotel room for five nights at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center
o $400 gift card for travel and meal expenses
o Complimentary tickets for each team member and parent/guardian for the Memorial Day picnic at Nationals Park, a Bee-organized tour of Washington, D.C., and the Awards Banquet
· Each member of the Semifinalist teams (10) will receive a Kindle Paperwhite.
Participants in the Scripps National Spelling Bee will have the chance to view and vote on these five videos during the 2017 Bee Week to select the Champion video. For the winning team, each member will receive $1,000 cash and a Spellebrity trophy.
Watch the finalists' video here: