AUBURN — Two teams may have spelled their way to victory, but 16 teams spelled their way into the hearts and minds of more than 200 people helped last year by Literacy Volunteers-Androscoggin, whose 13th annual Scrabble Fest Letters for Literacy was held Sunday at the Hilton Garden Inn.

“It’s all about literacy volunteers,” said Gary Knight of Livermore Falls, a member of last year’s championship team, which lost to newcomers Team Sleek in the pro division of the competition.

“The contest fits what they do. This is all about linguistics and improving vocabulary,” said Knight, whose wife is a longtime literacy volunteer.

Tahlia Chamberlain, executive director of Literacy Volunteers-Androscoggin, said that 16 teams may have represented a slight drop in numbers compared to past years, but there was certainly no drop in enthusiasm for the beloved event.

“It’s always fun to do this,” Chamberlain said. “It’s a good way to get the word out for what we do.”

A.J. Riseman and her teammate, Diane Sleek, of the winning team said that the event was for a good cause. Both of Freeport, Riseman and Sleek often play Scrabble at home. Sunday’s win was their first in tournament play.

Knight called the two women who dethroned him in this year’s competition “worthy competitors.” With a whopping score of 1,279, including three straight games over 400 points, Team Sleek took home the top prize and bragging rights for the next year. The winners also had the top word score with 101 points for the word “Outfish.”

Winning the social division was Team Scrabblewocky with a score of 1,050. Top fundraiser for the event was Marty Corey of Poland, a literacy volunteer and Scrabble player who alone raised $255 for the organization that is so close to her heart.

“I’m a retired remedial reading teacher from Freeport,” Corey said. “I vowed that once I retired that I wanted to become a literacy volunteer.”

And that’s just what Corey did. She has been helping adults with English as a second language learn to read since 2002. Because of volunteers like her, Chamberlain said that the more than $2,600 raised Sunday will go to support the agency’s five programs, which helped more than 200 people learn to read last year alone.

“Hopefully the people Literacy Volunteers help can one day come and compete at this level,” Knight said.