Having words with friends will benefit people struggling with literacy

Toronto, March 17, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Literacy will be the word of the day on March 18 as two Canadians rack up triple word scores in a championship round at Scrabble for Literacy, a fundraising event in support of Frontier College. Hosted by award-winning comedian Martha Chaves and presented by CIBC, Scrabble for Literacy attracts individuals and companies from across Canada to play Scrabble online with hopes to score big for literacy.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Scrabble fundraiser was held in downtown Toronto, but organizers used the lockdown as an opportunity to refresh and expand the event; something they have wanted to do for many years. Moving it to a virtual platform, accessible to all ages, the first round of the Scrabble tournament was held March 11-15 using the SCRABBLE® GO app. On March 18 at 7:00 p.m. EST, two players with the highest cores will play alongside comedians Colin Mochrie and Debra McGrath and join Scrabble title-holders Josh Sokol-Rubenstein and Jackson Smylie in a championship event.

A tournament based on the classic word game, Scrabble is the perfect event to bring awareness to low literacy rates in Canada. 1 in 5 Canadians have serious struggles with literacy. For 122 years, Frontier College, a national charitable literacy organization, has helped people improve their literacy and numeracy skills through its free programs delivered by a network of volunteers.

Frontier College President Stephen Faul is inspired by the continued growth of the event, now in its 17th year. "It's a wonderful reminder of the value that our community members place on literacy. Ongoing learning disruptions in 2021 continue to negatively impact people's literacy and learning?with consequences for Canada's future for years to come. Even under difficult circumstances Frontier College continues to reach kids, teens, and adults through our nation-wide network of community partners, parents, students, and volunteer literacy tutors. Our team has shown real creativity this year by reaching learners online, by phone, and even by delivering reading kits to people's homes."

North American Scrabble Players Association CEO John Chew has been a longtime supporter of Frontier College's events. "Virtual Scrabble with my friends, through my local club or at marquee events like Scrabble for Literacy, is my favourite way of keeping my brain active and safely interacting with competitors of all ages. Playing Scrabble online to raise much needed funds for Frontier College and adult literacy in Canada is a brilliant way to feel good about having fun."

Event producer and former North American Scrabble champion Will Anderson is thrilled to lend his support to Scrabble for Literacy. "Frontier has done a wonderful job adapting Scrabble for Literacy as a virtual event. While we all look forward to playing Scrabble in person with our friends sometime soon, we still have a great opportunity to honor this event's impressive legacy and contribute to an incredibly worthy cause."

Scrabble for Literacy was established in 2005 and has raised $4 million for Frontier College and its important mission to improve literacy rates across Canada.

For tickets and information visit scrabblenightincanada.ca or follow @frontiercollege on Twitter.

-30-

About Frontier College

Frontier College is a national charitable literacy organization, established in 1899 on the belief that literacy is a right. We work collaboratively with community-based agencies to provide targeted, innovative literacy and numeracy support for individuals throughout Canada. Each year, over 40,000 children, youth, and adults participate in our free programs in more than 150 communities throughout the country. For more information about Frontier College visit www.frontiercollege.ca and follow @frontiercollege on Twitter.

Attachment

• Scrabble with PGI logo