Join us and Reading Is Fundamental for Macy's 6th Annual Spelling Bee from August 13 - September 18 for an afternoon of fun and the chance to show us how well you S-P-E-L-L! Each regional Spelling Bee winner from around the country will receive a trip to NYC, including hotel accommodations provided by the Affinia Manhattan Hotel, to compete with one another in the final Spelling Bee at Macy's Herald Square on Saturday, September 24th. Each Regional Spelling Bee winner will also receive a year of online learning from Kaplan Smart Track and a $150 gift card from Scholastic. The winner of Macy's Final Spelling Bee in New York City will receive a magical California vacation for a family of four, including round-trip air travel, hotel accommodations and more provided by Radio Disney®. In addition, the winner will receive a $5,000 Kaplan Tutoring Scholarship and a $500 Scholastic gift card. rules and regulations

check out these g-r-e-a-t photos from previous spelling bees!

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Radio Disney is the #1 24-hour radio network devoted to kids, tweens and families.

RIF, the nation's oldest and largest children's literacy organization.

Read Every Day. Lead a Better Life.

Kaplan Smart Track provides a revolutionary approach to learning that helps students in grades K-8 make academic progress, increase self-confidence, and develop a love of learning.

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. A PURCHASE WILL NOT IMPROVE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING.

Eligibility: The "Macy's Sixth Annual Spelling Bee Contest" ("Contest") is open to U.S. legal residents between the ages of 8-11 at time of competition. Employees of Macy's Retail Holding, Inc. ("Macy's"), Reading Is Fundamental, Inc. ("RIF"), Kaplan Smart Track ("Kaplan"), and Scholastic, Inc. ("Scholastic") (collectively "Sponsors"), and their immediate family members and/or those living in the same household are not eligible. Contest is subject to all applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations. Void in Puerto Rico and where prohibited by law. Events at participating locations are subject to change or cancellation.

Participating Locations & Dates: Contest will be held in the Kids Departments at 2:00 p.m. on the following dates at the participating Macy's locations below. Locations and time subject to change if conditions require.

Saturday, 8/13/11 – Coral Square (Coral Springs, FL), Florida Mall (Orlando, FL);

Saturday, 8/27/11 - Crabtree Valley Mall (Raleigh, NC), Aventura (North Miami, FL), Town Center at Cobb (Kennesaw, GA); Citrus Park (Tampa, FL);

Saturday, 9/10/11 – Valley Fair (Santa Clara, CA), Downtown Seattle (Seattle, WA), Fresno (Fresno, CA), Clackamas (Portland, OR), Park Meadows (Littleton, CO), Warwick (Warwick, RI), Nashua (Nashua, NH), Burlington (Burlington, VT), Roosevelt Field (Garden City, NY), Kings Plaza (Brooklyn, NY), Oakbrook (Oakbrook, IL), Ridgedale (Minnetonka, MN), Polaris Fashion Place (Columbus, OH), Oak Park (Overland Park, KS), Victoria Gardens (Rancho Cucamonga, CA), Chandler Mall (Chandler, AZ), Fashion Valley (San Diego, CA), Memorial City (Houston, TX), Robinson Town Center (Pittsburg, PA), Greenbrier (Chesapeake, VA), Montgomery Mall (Bethesda, MD), Center City (Philadelphia, PA);

Sunday, 9/18/11 – Bridgewater (Bridgewater, NJ)

How to enter: Contestants must come to one of the above-mentioned Macy's locations on the corresponding date, accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. Participation is limited to the first 50 entrants in each location. Parent or legal guardian must provide written consent at time of entry in order for a child to participate. Contestants must provide proof of age acceptable to Sponsors.
Spelling Bee Rules: Sponsors are responsible for selecting words used in the spelling bee. A panel of judges will provide contestants with their words. Contestants are eliminated upon misspelling of his/her given word. When the number of spellers is reduced to two, the elimination procedure changes. At that point, when one speller misspells a word, the other speller shall be given an opportunity to spell that same word. If the second speller spells that word correctly, plus the next word on the list, then the second speller shall be declared the champion. The decision of the judges is final. If the second speller fails to spell the word missed by the other speller and the next word, then the contest will continue for one or more additional rounds until the last speller successfully spells a word missed by the other and a second word.

Semi-Finalist Prizes: 29 Prizes will be awarded - one in each location - to the winner of that store's Spelling Bee. Trip for two (2) to New York City to compete in the Final Spelling Bee at Macy's Herald Square on Saturday, September 24, 2011 plus one (1) year of online learning from Kaplan Smart Track and a $150 online gift card from Scholastic. Each Semi-Finalist Prize includes roundtrip transportation to New York City (economy air or rail at Sponsor's sole discretion) and two (2) nights double-occupancy hotel accommodations at Sponsor's sole discretion. The semi-finalists and their parents or legal guardians each must be available to travel on Friday, September 23th and return Sunday, September 25, 2011 or dates determined by Sponsor. Approximate Retail Value ("ARV") for each Semi-Finalist Prize is approximately $1,050 (depending on travel itinerary and room rates at time of stay). Parent or legal guardian of each semi-finalist must sign an affidavit of eligibility, release form and complete a W9.

Grand Prize: One Grand Prize will be awarded on September 24, 2011. Grand Prize consists of the following:
• A $5,000 Kaplan Tutoring Scholarship to be used at a Kaplan location or online and a $500 Scholastic online gift card. ARV: $5,500.
• A trip to Southern California for winner and three (3) persons. Trip includes round trip economy airfare from an airport nearest winner's primary residency (arriving at either Orange County Airport or Los Angeles International Airport) and double occupancy accommodations for three (3) nights. Trip must be redeemed by September 24, 2012. Travel and accommodations are subject to availability and black out dates. ARV of trip: $4,500.
• Grand Prize may also include a television appearance on a national morning show (the "Show"), if available, in New York City on Monday, September 26, 2011. Winner's appearance on the Show is subject to Network producer's requirements and sole discretion, and, prior to participation in the Show, winner's parent or legal guardian will be required to sign Network producer's full standard release and any other required documentation. Sponsors are not responsible in the event that Network interrupts or pre-empts the Show due to a breaking news or weather story, which in Network's sole discretion, is of local or national importance, and appearance portion of the Grand Prize will be forfeited and no additional compensation will be awarded. Grand Prize winner will receive an additional one (1) night double-occupancy hotel accommodations and ground transportation to/from the Network's studio. ARV: $125.00

Aggregate ARV of Grand Prize: $10,000-$10,125.

Semi-Finalist prizes and Grand Prize, except as expressly provided above, do not include ground transportation to/from hotel, meals, hotel incidentals, gratuities, service charges or any other expenses not specified herein, all of which are the responsibility of the each winner's parent or legal guardian. If actual value of Prizes are lower than the ARV, the difference will not be awarded in cash. For both Semi-Finalist and Grand Prize, a parent or legal guardian must accompany a traveling minor. Winner and parent or legal guardian must travel together on dates specified by the Sponsor or forfeit all rights to prize. Parent/legal guardian of Semi-Finalist and Grand Prize winners must each sign and return an affidavit of eligibility, liability and publicity release. Winners' parents/legal guardians are responsible for all taxes and fees associated with prize acceptance and/or use. Prizes are not redeemable for cash. No substitutions for prizes except by Sponsors in which case a prize of equal or greater value will be substituted.

Contestants agree to these rules. Decisions of the judges and the Sponsors are final. By participating, contestants and their parents/legal guardians release the Sponsors and their respective parents, subsidiaries, divisions and related companies, together with and the officers, directors, employees, agents, successors, assigns and licensees of each of them and all other companies providing prizes or involved in this Contest (collectively the "Released Parties") from any and all claims and/or liability relating to their participation, acceptance and use of the prize. Winners' parents/legal guardians assume all liability for any injury or damage caused or claimed to be caused, by participation in this Contest or use or redemption of any prize. Sponsors are not responsible for any typographical or other error in the printing of the offer, administration of the Contest or in the announcement of the prize. Acceptance of a prize constitutes consent to Sponsors' use of winner's name, likeness, photograph, voice, opinions and/or hometown and state for promotional purposes in any media, worldwide, (including but not limited to internet and television broadcast) without further consent or compensation except where prohibited.

Winners' List: For the names of the winners (available after September 24, 2011), send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to: "Macy's Sixth Annual Spelling Bee Contest" Winner, c/o Macy's Special Events, 11 Penn Plaza, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10001.

Sponsors: Macy's Retail Holdings, Inc., 11 Penn Plaza, New York, NY 10001; Reading Is Fundamental, Inc., 1825 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 400; Kaplan Tutoring, 1 Liberty Plaza, 22nd Floor, New York, NY 10006, and Scholastic, Inc., 557 Broadway, Lobby 1, New York, NY 10012-3999.