THIS YEAR'S SCRABBLEBEE CHAMPIONS (fourth place). In support of Literacy Chippewa Valley, Volume One rounds up our rag-tag team to take on other area businesses and organizations at the ScrabbleBee. (Left to right: Allison Buchli, designer; Ireland McAbee-Thomas, advertising; Tom Giffey, former managing editor and Scrabble whiz; Angela LaVoy, office manager and rising ScrabbleBee star; Jade Juedes, designer; and McKenna Scherer, managing editor)

I didn’t want to have to take this public, but my hand has been forced. Yeah, I’m lookin’ right at you, Wisconsin Public Radio. Specifically, the Eau Claire area WPR team.

Whatever kind of advanced, sick Scrabble bootcamp is going on over in public radio land, it’s time to give it up. How many years in a row have y’all won Literacy Chippewa Valley’s ScrabbleBee fundraiser? Huh? All of the years, of all time? Or just the years that I’ve been playing with the Volume One team? Maybe it isn’t personal but it sure feels personal.

This year's ScrabbleBee was held at The Brewing Projekt. (Photo via Facebook)

All thinly-veiled sore-loserness aside, this is the second year in a row your favorite (okay, only) local, independently-owned, bi-weekly publication has PROUDLY taken fourth place in the ScrabbleBee. Hey, it’s for one of the coolest causes: supporting access to free, local literacy support.

This year’s event featured even more teams than last year (and big kudos goes to Katherine Schneider who raised over $4,000 in team pledges!) and it was so, so fun. Seriously. If you’re reading this right now, you can join the ScrabbleBee next year. I think most of us can agree, our local organizations need a big community hug – and lift – right now, and frankly, they deserve it.

Our small slice of the world here in the Chippewa Valley is special. And that’s thanks to a whole lot of factors and people and hard work and a little bit of luck, and I’d like to think one part of all that magic is because there is a true sense of community here. I’ve told people – more than once in the past few weeks – that I am a firm believer in the Valley’s ability to rise and meet the need of the community when it really matters. In a tiny way, participating in events like the ScrabbleBee can help do that. So, I’ll keep showing up each year – and in more ways than at the Scrabble board.

Plus, Wisconsin Public Radio can’t keep dominating like this. It’s on like Donkey Kong next year.