Spelling bees aren’t just for kids anymore.

Salina Senior Center and the city of Salina are co-sponsoring the first Senior Citizens State Wide Spelling Bee on Oct. 11.

Three Kansans will judge the bee – former U.S. Sen. Nancy Kassebaum Baker; Max Falkenstien, legendary Kansas University basketball and football announcer; and state Rep. Joshua Svaty, D-Ellsworth.

Kansas residents 50 and older by Oct. 1 are invited to participate by paying a $5 entry fee. Participants must obtain an entry form online at www.salhelp.org/aging/spellingbee or by calling (785) 827-9818, and submit it by Sept. 14 to the Salina Senior Center.

The bee will be held at the Bicentennial Center.

The grand prize will be a trip for two to the National Senior Citizens Spelling Bee competition in Cheyenne, Wyo., in June 2008.