Word Play

a crossword puzzle gala

An evening of fun, games, and giving!

Word Play 2025 was a rousing success! Over 200 people joined us for the 3rd annual crossword competition gala! See photos from the event below, and keep an eye out here for dates and details for Word Play 2026! You won’t want to miss it!

Thank you to our wonderful sponsors for making the event possible!

Scroll through pictures from Word Play 2025!

Thank you to Michael Schuhmann Photographer for capturing the evening!

To kick off our second decade of services to the Tampa Bay community, Voices of Hope for Aphasia (VOH) is celebrating with an evening of fun, games, and giving, to enable us to help more people in the region who are living with aphasia.

Word Play, a fun-filled night of word-game competitions, dinner, and opportunities to support VOH, will feature a special tribute to Tampa Bay’s own puzzle master, the late Merl Reagle, nationally known and syndicated crossword puzzle constructor.

Aphasia, which affects more than 23,000 in the Bay area alone, is a language disorder, often following stroke or traumatic injury, that impacts a person’s ability to speak, write, and understand verbal and written language. Former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, actor Bruce Willis, and recently elected U.S. Senator John Fetterman from Pennsylvania experience the effects of language disorders like aphasia. Programs at VOH are offered free both to people affected by aphasia and their families, emphasizing communication skills, life participation, and mutual understanding.

Currently, over 500 members benefit from these programs. VOH hopes to expand its capacity to help even more.

Thank you to our 2025 SPONSORS!