Crossword gala puzzlers compete for a cause

It won't matter if you wear diamonds or rubies at this Clearwater gala. All eyes will be on the crown jewel: a crossword puzzle.

Why it matters: The second annual Word Play Crossword Puzzle Gala benefits Voices Of Hope For Aphasia and pays tribute to Merl Reagle , who for decades stumped and delighted puzzlers around the world with crosswords created from his Tampa home.

Context: People with Aphasia often struggle to find words. The disorder can follow a stroke or injury and affects speaking, writing and understanding language.

• It impacts more than 23,000 in the Bay area and around 2.5 million people around the country, according to Voices of Hope.

State of (opposite of work, 4 letters): Rays pitchers Pete Fairbanks and Jason Adam — also crossword geeks — are putting down their gloves and picking up pencils for this year's event.

• Attendees will get a Wordle to warm up before tackling the big puzzle, made by Largo auctioneer, events planner and crossword constructor Jason Alpert .
• The fastest finishers will get prizes. Last year's champions completed the puzzle in 9 minutes, while some were too flummoxed to finish.

What they're saying: "The centerpiece is when everyone is hunkered down at their tables. It's a great way to cut through the usual blah blah that happens at fundraisers," organizer David Warner told Axios.

Plus: Reagle's wife, Marie Hayley, will present an award in his name to the City of St. Petersburg's Committee to Advocate for Persons with Impairments (CAPI) for its work guiding city staff in working with people with disabilities.

If you go: The gala is 6:30-9:30pm Thursday at Banquet Masters in Clearwater. Tickets are $95 each or $1000 for a table of eight.

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