“C – A – S – S – I – O – P – E – I – A – N.”

That word launched Team To Bee or Not To Bee into the winner’s circle Thursday night at the fifth annual Shane Richardson Memorial Adult Spelling Bee.

The bee, which raised about $4,500 for Harbor House, featured 16 teams of three members each. Beth Wilson, Jennifer Helbing and Karen Bennett beat out the other teams at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church for the win.

“It’s incredible,” Bennett said. “I’ve never won anything before. We had fun.”

Wilson and Helbing agreed. “We’re really excited,” Wilson said. “This is my third year.”

All three women work at Darlington School.

Competitors slid into the competition with ease, first tackling words such as “crag” and “attorney.” Things escalated quickly, and teams began spelling words like “onerous” (a task involving a burdensome amount of effort) and “leucoryx” (a kind of antelope).

"Cassiopeian" is defined by the Merriam-Webster's dictionary as "of or relating to the constellation Cassiopeia," which is located in between Andromeda and Cepheus in the night sky.

“It’s just a way to give back to them and have fun,” said Brad Reeder, president of Harbor House’s board of directors and a bee participant.

Teams paid $250 to enter, which got them one do-over if they missed a word. An extra $50 got them an additional do-over.

The money goes to Harbor House, which among other services provides a safe interview site for children who may have been physically or sexually abused, said Gil Garland, Harbor House’s executive director.