Seven Beaufort County Elementary Schools will begin working on school-wide student productions thanks to the Foundation for Education Excellence.

The schools are winners of the Peggy May Memorial Performing Arts Grants, which range from $1,000 to $1,450 and which will impact more than 4,200 students. Foundation officials visited the schools this week to personally announce the awards.

The performing arts grants were established to utilize funds donated to the foundation during the past year in memory of Peggy May, a past Board member and chair who passed away in July 2014. During May’s 28-year teaching career, she produced full-length Broadway shows with her elementary school students. Peggy did this because of her love of the theater and to teach her students that they could do almost anything if they put their minds to it.

“When the Foundation received almost $6,000 in memory of Peggy, we felt we needed to do something special for students in her name,” said Jackie Rosswurm, the Foundation’s chair. “What better use could there be of these funds than to help elementary schools give students the opportunity to perform?”

Although the Foundation initially planned to award only four grants, the group increased that number to seven because so many applications were received. Grant recipients are required to have their selected performances during the 2015-2016 school year. Each school will be presented a commemorative plaque at their performance, acknowledging their production.

Peggy May Performing Arts Grant recipients and production titles:

Lady’s Island Elementary School – <em>Suessical the Musical</em>, Mossy Oaks Elementary School – <em>The Aristocat Kids</em>, Red Cedar Elementary School – <em>The Lion King</em><i>, </i>Riverview Charter School – <em>The Holly Jolly Pirates of Pinataville</em>, Whale Branch Elementary School – <em>Annie, the Broadway Musical</em>, Hilton Head Island Elementary School IB – <em>Dear Edwina JR</em>, Hilton Head Island Elementary School for the Creative Arts – <em>SCA Character Counts</em>