News        from ABAC

Michael D. Chason Director of Public Relations ABAC 30 -- 2802 Moore Highway Tifton, GA 31793-2601 Phone 229-391-5055 Fax 229-391-5056 mchason@abac.edu

IMMEDIATE MARCH 8, 2007

ABAC Director of Development Melvin Merrill (left) and Director of Bands Don Coates (right) accepts a donation from Tift County High School’s Director of Bands, Rickey Savage (center).

TCHS BAND BOOSTERS DONATE $1000 TO WYLES SCHOLARSHIP FUND

TIFTON - The Band Boosters at Tift County High School recently donated $1,000 to the Eugene H. Wyles Music Scholarship Fund at Abraham Baldwin College. 

Rickey Savage, Director of Bands at TCHS, said, “We want the spirit of Mr. Wyles to live on.  I would like to have this in the budget every year.”

Wyles, Director of the Concert Band at ABAC for 16 years, passed away on Jan. 31.  Prior to coming to ABAC, he was the band director at Worth County High School for 31 years.

“When he was at Worth County, he came during the summer and helped with our summer band practice,” Savage, who has been at TCHS for 22 years, said.  “When we were getting ready for a festival or an event, he was always glad to help us out.”

Wyles’ daughter, Sherri Grabowski, remains an integral part of the music program in the Tift County schools in her position as the band and chorus director at Matt Wilson School.

“Rickey, Sherri, and Vann Thornton have all been a great help to the ABAC music program through the years,” ABAC Music Program Director Don Coates said.  “This is just another indication of the support they have for ABAC.”

ABAC Development Director Melvin Merrill said the contribution will be used to assist in the endowment of the Wyles Scholarship.  He said the scholarship is designed to assist an incoming freshman in the field of music.  There are no geographical restrictions.

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