An iconic board game owes much of its popularity to literacy.
With that in mind, Thunder Bay Literacy Group executive director Jean Fairbairn says there is no better way to support the organization than with their annual Scrabble tournament.
“We think (Scrabble) relates to the notion of literacy,” Fairbairn said at this year’s tournament, which was held at the Intercity Shopping Centre on Saturday.
“People who like to play word games might like to support adult literacy and our fundraising committee tried different things and this is what we decided to stick with.”
Now in its 16th year, the event has been quite successful for the organization, raising more than $120,000 in its history. They are hoping to match the $12,000 raised by last year’s tournament.
The organization provides free programs to adults across the city such as literacy, numeracy, computer skills trainings as well as assistance for those looking to pass their GED or trades exams.
There were approximately 20 players with the tournament featuring both a morning and afternoon session. Every participant in each draw played two games. The top cumulative scores in each session are crowned as winners.
Meeting new people while making a difference is the best part for some of the participants.
“My favourite part of the day is hearing the totals that have been brought in for the Thunder Bay Literacy Group,” said former player and volunteer Jackson Sanderson.
“There’s a certain amount of camaraderie and it’s good to meet different people.”
More information about the Thunder Bay Literacy Group can be found on their website.
