Peterson joins Read to Succeed in effort to promote literacy

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - Middle Tennessee baseball head coach Steve Peterson is set to participate in the fifth annual Read To Succeed Celebrity Bee on Nov. 15 at Patterson Park Community Center. Peterson is one of 13 local celebrities that will battle for the spelling bee championship.

“I’m very appreciative of the invitation,” Peterson said. “It’s ironic, though, because when spelling bees were popular while I was in elementary school, I was always one of the first ones to sit down. But it’s going to be a fun night and I’ll do anything to help a great cause in fighting illiteracy.”

The Bee is an effort to promote literacy and each dollar raised stays in Rutherford County to fund books, materials, training supplies and operational expenses for Read To Succeed’s family and adult literacy programs.

Among those joining Peterson are community volunteer Leslie Akins, Kristin Demos, criminal justice consultant Gayle Ray, community volunteer Gloria LaRoche, Murfreesboro City Councilman Toby Gilley, Daily News Journal columnist Barb Ford, pastor Vincent Windrow, and Five Senses owner and chef Mitchell Murphree.

In addition to the Bee, Five Senses will provide the Celebrity “Buzz” dinner beginning at 6 p.m. with the Bee starting at 7 p.m.

Tickets for the event are $50 and available online at readtosucceed.org or by sending a check to Read To Succeed, P.O. Box 12161, Murfreesboro, TN 37129.

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