Clown Band awards over $7,000 in scholarships.

The Scottville Clown Band

Clown Band awards over $7,000 in scholarships. Performs tonight in Ludington.

By Rob Alway, Editor-in-Chief. 

SCOTTVILLE — The Scottville Clown Band has recently awarded $7,350 in scholarships to middle school and high school students attending summer performing arts educational programs.

The Raymond Schulte Memorial Scholarship Fund is named in memory of Ray Schulte, who re-formed the Clown Band in 1947 after it had been dormant during World War II. The band’s roots date back to 1903 when a group of merchants performed for local festivals. That group played once or twice per year, mostly in Scottville and Ludington. Following the war, the band began to expand its performance area and its membership size. Today, the band has over 200 members and performs throughout Michigan. One of its primary missions is to encourage youth to explore music, which it does through the distribution of scholarships.

Recipients of the scholarships have been invited to perform with the band during its concert tonight at Waterfront Park in Ludington, which begins at 7 p.m.

Local recipients of scholarships include:

• Angeleah Arnold, Fountain, 7th grade, Mason County Central Middle School, attending Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp.
• Maisie Whitaker, Hart, 11th grade, Hart High School, Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp.
• Will Blount, Ludington, 7th grade, Pentwater High School, Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp.
• Savanna Stark, Ludington, 10th grade, Ludington High School, Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp.
• Mackenzie Larson, Ludington, 8th grade, Mason County Central Middle School, Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp.
• Andrew Schrader, Ludington, 8th grade, OJ DeJonge Middle School, Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp.
• Riley Kruer, Ludington, 11th grade, Mason County Central High School, Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp.
• Becca Townsend, Ludington, 10th grade, MCC, Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp.
• Ethan Richard Funke, Ludington, 8th grade, OJ DeJonge Middle School, Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp.
• Grace Taranko, Ludington, 10th grade, Ludington High School, Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp.
• Carolyn Rainbolt, Ludington, 11th grade, LHS, Voyageurs International/Michigan.
• Evan Holden, Manistee, 6th grade, Manistee Middle School, Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp.
• Cillian Holden, Manistee, 5th grade, Manistee Schools, Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp.
• Aiden Prince, Manistee, 8th grade, Manistee Middle School, Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp.
• Larry Winterhalter, New Era, 9th grade, Shelby High School, Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp.
• Daria Reitsma, Pentwater, 7th grade, Pentwater Schools, Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp.
• Madeline Reitsma, Pentwater, 11th grade, Pentwater Schools, Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp.
• Mackenzie Breitner, Pentwater, 10th grade, Pentwater Schools, Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp.
• Anastacia Travino, Rothbury, 7th Grade, Montague Middle School, Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp.
• Katelynn Ross, Scottville, 8th grade, Mason County Central Middle School, Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp.
• Roxie Jeffries, Scottville, 8th grade, Mason County Central Middle School, Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp.
• Logan Hargreaves, Scottville, 11th grade, Mason County Central High School, Blue Lake International Band (scholarship awarded in memory of Mary Tracy).
• Emma Adams, Scottville, 8th grade, OJ DeJonge Middle School, Blue Lake International Band.
• Hailey Jones, Shelby, 6th grade, Shelby Middle School, Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp.
• Kraylee Ledger, Shelby, 6th grade, Shelby Middle School, Central Michigan University Music Institution.
• Alexei Vargas, Shelby, 6th grade, Shelby Middle School, Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp.