On Saturday, December 11th, the 2021 Finals of the Better Tomorrows/Michaels Management Spelling Bee took place at the Michaels Corporate Offices in Camden, New Jersey.  The first-place winners of local spelling bees held prior at West Poplar, Roosevelt Manor 9 & 10, Chester Apartments, Haddington Townhouses, Branch Village, and the Communities of Centerville, participated in front of the Triad Room crowd.  The competition in both the 8-10 and the 11-14 age group was captivating and took many rounds of words to determine the winner in each group.  The students displayed good sportsmanship throughout the event and the crowd was enthusiastic.  D’On Williams from Roosevelt 9 & 10 took first place in the 8-10 bracket with Tianni Smith from West Poplar finishing in 2nd place.  Taylor Matheny from Haddington Townhouses won the 11 – 14-year-old title with Tamara Hall from Jackie’s Garden finishing in 2nd place.  Each of those 4 individuals received a medal, a certificate, a non-fiction reference book of their choice, a gift card, and a laptop computer donated by the Electronic Access Foundation (EAF).  All other participants received a certificate and the non-fiction book of their choice.

Coordination of this event was led by Better Tomorrows Board of Trustee and educational consultant, Dr. Bruce Johnson, who also served as a judge. He has been an integral part of the planning and facilitation of the Spelling Bee since its inception fourteen years ago.  Other players included  Lori Ward (Better Tomorrows) who served as the “Pronouncer” and Elizabeth Biel (Better Tomorrows), Marge Della Vecchia, and Annie Foster (both Better Tomorrows Board of Trustees members) who served as judges.  Special recognition also goes to the Better Tomorrows social services coordinators from the apartment community sites for all of their efforts in working with the students and making the event a success. Following the competition, a pizza lunch was served.  It was a terrific day that was thoroughly enjoyed by all in attendance!