Words with Friends (and for a Good Cause): Scrabble Tournament Raises Funds for Adult Literacy

On the evening of Thursday, April 17, 2025, the German Club Manor in Blacksburg was buzzing—not just with conversation, but with the clack of letter tiles, the flipping of dictionaries, and the joyful chatter of 26 spirited teams battling it out at our 17th annual Scrabble Tournament for Literacy.

Each year, this friendly competition brings together word lovers, community champions, and supporters of adult education for an evening of fun and fundraising—and this year did not disappoint! With a robust roster of teams and incredible community support, it was truly a night to remember.

We are especially proud to share that thanks to our generous sponsors, every single dollar of registration fees will go directly to support Literacy NRV’s free adult education programs across the New River Valley. From English language instruction to GED prep and basic reading, every Scrabble score helped move our mission forward.

A Picture-Perfect Night: We were thrilled to have Charlie Whitescarver of Whitescarver Photography capturing the spirit of the evening through his lens. You’ll find smiles, concentration, celebration, and even a few creative team costumes in the full photo gallery (see below).

And what’s a night of words without a little music? Many thanks to Renate Kehlenbeck, whose beautiful classical guitar set the perfect tone for the evening.

Tournament Champions – Coke Zeros (Total Score: 868) Lee Pierson, Shoshana Knapp, Rachel Knapp

Round 1 Winners – Coke Zeros (Score: 440)

Round 2 Winners – Vowel Movements (Score: 458) Cynthia Wynne, Gerald Pops, Randolph Wynne

Highest Word Score – Vowel Movements with a 122-point play of “acquire”

Most Creative Team Name – Clean Up on Tile 7! Terra Hanks, Sheldon Dobbins, Dylan Henderson

From fierce wordsmiths to pun-loving team namers, every participant brought their A-game and their heart. We are so grateful to everyone who played, volunteered, donated, or cheered from the sidelines.

Whether you came for the words, the wine, the music, or the mission—thank you for making this night such a success. Together, we’re helping adults in our community write their next chapter.

Stay tuned for next year’s tournament—we already can’t wait.