Madison Street Festival issues grants to schools, agencies

MADISON – The parade has passed by, and entertainment stages are empty, but Madison Street Festival is perpetuating an atmosphere of good will with grants to community groups.

The MSF Steering Committee has issued $10,580 in grants from the 2018 festival. In addition, one senior at both James Clemens and Bob Jones high school will receive a scholarship for $1,000.

Members of MSF grants committee are chairperson Alicia Roberts, Stephanie Cravens and Keegan Mumaw.

The recipients include Liberty Middle School Band. Their $500 grant will help to buy a sousaphone. Demand is high for more instruments and equipment, because the Liberty Band program has grown by more 150 students this year.

The Riley Behavioral & Educational Center, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, assists children, young adults and families affected by autism spectrum disorder. The Riley Center will use its $580 grant in securing a new sensory room for autistic children to learn more about their environment, along with learning practices to cope and interact as a community member. 

With a $400 grant, Bob Jones Science Department will purchase an additional Go Direct SpectroVis Plus spectrophometer, which can communicate wirelessly with electronic devices.

At Discovery Middle School, Monique Haselden in language arts will apply $800 in purchasing Chromebooks for literacy stations within the classroom. Also at Discovery, English teacher Leslie Hughes will use an $800 grant for Chromebooks that small groups will use in the classroom.

Bob Jones Counseling Center will apply its $500 grant in adding furniture in the student waiting area of the counseling center. The center also will use the funds for tutoring.

With a $2,000 grant, Merrimack Hall Performing Arts Center in Huntsville will fund an art class for children with special needs. Students from Madison will benefit from the new class offering.

West Madison Elementary School received $500 to expand the biography section of the library. The series will focus on lower-level, high-interest biographical books.

Liberty Choir plans to use its $500 grant to complete a service-learning project to benefit Madison residents.

A $2,000 grant to SpringUP Ministries and Wellness Center will help to buy educational materials and classes on suicide prevention. The material will be available to students, teachers and parents of Madison City Schools

Madison Street Festival is held annually on the first Saturday in October. In 2019, the festival date will be Oct. 5.