Beaver Dam Area Orchestra Awards Scholarships

(Beaver Dam) The Beaver Dam Area Orchestra recently awarded three scholarships to area students. Ayla Loomans, Levi Schepp, and Sydney Wolfgram were this year’s recipients. Mary Vogl-Rauscher with the Beaver Dam Area Orchestra Board of Directors says they want to give to the future because it is important for the Orchestra to invest in the education and development of students. The scholarship distributions were made from two newly created funds made possible through a partnership with the Beaver Dam Area Community Foundation. The Beaver Dam Area Orchestra was the first nonprofit organization to establish funds with the Beaver Dam Area Community Foundation following the Foundation’s founding in September 2019.  The Beaver Dam Area Orchestra Endowed Fund and Beaver Dam Area Orchestra Non Endowed Fund were created under the premise of two primary goals: gain interest on the money in their funds and use the funds to provide scholarships to local students. Tom Heffron, the president of the Beaver Dam Area Community Foundation Advisory Board says both the endowed and non-endowed funds are used to provide scholarships to area students who play in the Beaver Dam Area Orchestra. Scholarship recipients are required to be participants in the orchestra. Student musicians have the potential to receive $250 for each year they play in the Orchestra, with a maximum scholarship award of $1,000. Vogl-Rauscher says the hope is that graduates who receive a scholarship and decide to return to Dodge County after college will consider rejoining the orchestra.