The event? The 3rd Annual Stand Up For Education Celebrity Spelling Bee.
The cause? The Educational Enrichment Foundation, which provides support for Tucson Unified School District students in need.
Need? Yes, like shoes, eyeglasses, and other basic necessities that keep too many among us away from literacy, education, and o-p-p-o-r-t-u-n-i-t-y.
The celebrities? Contestants included first and second year champions State Sen. Steve Farley and Hilary Van Alsburg (Humane Society of Southern Arizona). Others on stage and spelling were People Magazine’s 2013 National Teacher of the Year Art Almquist, Supervisor Ray Carroll, Lucy Howell from mygirlpower.org, Congressional candidate Martha McSally, Jason Ott from Citibank, former school superintendent John Pedicone, Dancing in the Streets director Joey Rodgers, Club Congress