Bay Area kids may not be able to compete in the National Spelling Bee unless new sponsor is found

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Top Bay Area spellers are hoping a new sponsor will step up to save their dreams of going to the Scripps National Spelling Bee.

The competition takes place every summer in Washington D.C. Contestants first have to win spelling bees at their local school, then they move on to a regional showdown to see who goes to the finals. But the current sponsor of the bay area regional competition is dropping out, and and so far, no one else has agreed to do it.

Last year, 233 Bay Area schools participated.

"So that involves hundreds of teachers and thousands of students who are impacted by the regional sponsor deciding they can't continue," according to Valerie Miller, Communications manager for the Scripps National Spelling Bee.

Miller says local sponsors typically spend about $5,000 to pay for the regional competition itself and expenses to send the winner to the finals.

If no sponsor is found, Scripps will still provide materials for school level spelling bees, but there will be no regional event to qualify students for the national competition.

Find out about becoming a sponsor here.