Energy, both nervous and excited, filled the Shissler Recreation Center (1800 Blair Street) on Thursday, October 29, in anticipation for the 14th Annual Great Fishtown Spelling Bee. Participants represented second to eighth grade classrooms from several different Riverwards schools.       

“We usually get about 100 kids, which is great for a neighborhood spelling bee… It’s a good combination of public and Catholic schools, private schools and charter schools,” A.J. Thomson, who organized the event, said about the spelling bee’s typical attendance. “[Kids from] every school in the Fishtown, Kensington and Port Richmond area will be here and some kids from the Northern Liberties.”       

The turnout did not disappoint, as an anxious crowd of students, teachers and parents waited for the spelling games to begin. Before allowing the competition to start, Thomson and Sergeant John Massi awarded two young Fishtown boys for a recent act of community service.       

Sean and David, two students from Adair Elementary School (1300 E Palmer St.) helped Massi and officers from the 26th Police District locate a missing boy. They received glass trophies and gift cards to the movies for their efforts.

“[If you] see something, say something,” Thomson encouraged the kids as a way to maintain safe communities.

A sense of community pride was in the air along with a sense of competition. Maria Perez, a fourth grader at the Mother of Divine Grace School (2612 Monmouth St.) was decked out in her “rainbow unicorn” Halloween costume and confidently told The Spirit “This year, I’m winning.”

Anthony Lin, a third-grader at Hackett School (2161 E. York St.), had the same motives saying, “I just like to win,” when asked why he participated in the spelling bee for the second year in a row.

Unfortunately, Anthony would be knocked out of the competition on the word “governor,” allowing Rex Jolles — a fourth-grader from Hackett — to grab the first-place title for the second-to-fourth-grade age group.

Lisa Solis, Rex Jolles’s mother and 30-year Philadelphia resident, explained how the awards from this competition are more than just material objects.

“It’s nice to have academic challenges and have kids receive trophies and be rewarded for their academic achievements instead of just athletics… It was just a real positive experience,” Solis said.

Deb Barca, computer and enrichment teacher at Hackett, agreed on the positive atmosphere of the spelling bee.

“The kids love it,” Barca said. “They like that they come here and that they have friends from other schools to compete against… Anything they can do as a group outside of the school [excites them].”

The spelling bee is more than an annual event — it is a reflection of community pride and a way for younger kids to get involved.

“We’ve been doing it for 14 years so by now it runs itself… [The spelling bee is] a unique thing [about] Fishtown. We have a lot of great things around here that people don’t know about,” A.J. Thomson said.  

Victor Torres is a veteran attendee of the spelling bee and a fifth grader at St. Peter the Apostle School (1009 N 5th St.). He has been a participant at the spelling bee since he was in second grade and won first place at the spelling bee for the third time on Thursday after a record breaking, marathon spelling.

“This is our longest spelling bee yet!” said Thomson. “One hour and forty-five minutes of spelling!”       

The remaining parents and students in the audience erupted into cheers after Victor spelled the final word “penicillin” and he celebrated by throwing his fists in the air and running up to his father.

“People want an opportunity to compete against each other and enjoy themselves,” Torres said when asked why the spelling bee is so popular for the kids.

Padrig Gillespie, student at Alexander Adaire School, got first place in the seventh-and-eighth-grade age group on Thursday, despite this being his first year competing.

“I didn’t expect to win,” Gillespie said even though he practiced for the event by studying the words with his mom. Padrig, along with the other two first place winners, was rewarded with a first-place trophy and a $50 gift card to Toys-R-Us; their classes will also receive a pizza party. All rewards are being funded by the Penn Treaty Special Services District.