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Jesse Matthews talks Scrabble with Kelowna.com. (Photo Kathy Michaels)
By Kathy Michaels
Throw seven Scrabble tiles in front of Jesse Matthews and there’s no telling what he’ll find.
Exotic animals, sparsely used verbs and words that almost never pass lips leave his finger tips and fill the game board, causing competitors acquiesce to a skill he’s spent the last eight years honing.
That was the case at the International Literacy Day Celebration event at the library on Saturday, when Matthews toppled four competitors at a time from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. It’s likely what also happens when he takes to virtual Scrabble boards with competitors across B.C. —after all, Matthews is ranked the fourth best Scrabble player provincewide.
“I play several times a day and I used to study words for a few hours a day,” he said, adding that since he was 14, he’s managed to get 70,000 games under his belt. “But, now that I am in university I have less time (for the latter).”
While the 23 year old is now focused on the French, Spanish, and psychology, he also has an understanding and appreciation for words that few can match.
And that’s what made him the perfect fit for the Project Literacy event which featured everything from puppeteers, celebrity readers and, of course, Matthews’ Scrabble table.
“What we’re trying to do here is encourage parents to read to their children,” said Barb Hagen, the executive director of Project Literacy, noting that scrabble component infused the event with the type of fun they were hoping for.
“Literacy gives children a good start, prepares them for school and later in life it helps them as they look for work — it has such a far reach.”
While forwarding literacy is something the organization does year-round the international celebration is particularly special and Hagen said it was heartening to see such a great turnout.
“This is our fourth year doing it, and people are starting to expect it,” she said, adding that the support from the community is a big draw.
As for Matthews, he’s working towards making a scrabble club for anyone who is interested in playing and he can be found at jesse@jessematthews.com or on Facebook, under Jesse Matthews.
kathy@kelowna.com
250-575-0761
One Response to “Scrabble champ draws a crowd at Literacy Day celebration”
Tags: literacy day, scrabble
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That guy is amazing!
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