(EL PASO INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT — Oct. 15, 2018) -- The EPISD Education Foundation is the new sponsor of the El Paso Regional Spelling Bee — the long-standing educational contest that has produced four national champions and helped hundreds of thousands of students embrace literacy.

The Foundation announced today it will take over the sponsorship of the event from the El Paso Times, which had organized it for 74 years. The new name of the event is the El Paso Regional Spelling Bee Presented by the EPISD Education Foundation.

The regional spelling brings students from dozens of elementary and middle schools from west Texas and southern New Mexico to compete for a chance to represent the region at the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C.

“The El Paso Regional Spelling Bee is one of the most cherished educational traditions in the Borderland and we are thrilled to be able to pick up the baton from the El Paso Times in making sure our talented students have a representative at the national tournament,” EPISD Superintendent Juan E. Cabrera said. “We know spelling bees are popular events at our schools and at schools throughout the region. We are happy to help continue this worthwhile cause.”

El Paso has an outstanding tradition of spellers at the regional and national level. In the 75 years of spelling bees in the region, El Paso-area spellers have won the national title four times.

“Part of the mission of the EPISD Education Foundation is to provide opportunities for excellence in education in El Paso, and the sponsorship of the El Paso Regional Spelling Bee allows us to do just that,” said Russell Wiggs, President of the Foundation. “We wish to thank the El Paso Times for their dedication to our students over the last 74 years. We look forward to continuing the tradition of success local spellers have enjoyed over the decades.”

The EPISD Foundation will announce the date and location of the 2018 regional spelling bee later this fall.