A buzzing good time is sure to be had at this year’s Great Grown-Up, Good Time Romp of a Spelling Bee.

The newly renamed event, now in its 25th year, will take place at 7 p.m. May 10 at Brenau University’s Hosch Theatre.

Gay Hammond, who is involved with Wonderquest and the Gainesville Theatre Alliance, will return as the event’s wordsmith.

“She is absolutely hysterical, she makes this event,” said Dorothy W. Shinafelt, executive director of the Gainesville-Hall County Alliance for Literacy, which sponsors the event. “She just really puts these spellers through the paces. She spends hours combing through Webster’s Dictionaries to find words.”

Shinafelt said the Alliance wants to let people know this is an entertainment event for adults, and not the typical spelling bee for school-aged children. For example, the judges will be brought into the auditorium wearing bee antennae and judges robes.

Nine teams competing are: American Spirit, Brenau, First Baptist, First Methodist, Grace Episcopal, Hall County Library, Lanier Tech, Rotary and The Times.

“We have wonderful door prizes and an audience participation round,” Shinafelt said. “Gay will give them 10 words and the person who spells the most correct will receive a very nice prize.”

The annual adult spelling bees have raised more than $335,000 for literacy efforts in Hall County.

“The alliance does not receive on any state or federal funding and has to rely on the community funding to support literacy programs,” Shinafelt said.

The mission of the Alliance is to increase the literacy rate in the area by promoting education for adults.