By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
Rincon Bobcats celebrate 34th May Day
cowboys
Zack Lee
Updated: May 11, 2017, 8:47 PM
Published: May 11, 2017, 8:50 PM

Rincon Elementary School hosted the 34th annual May Day on Friday morning with a crowd of hundreds watching.

As a part of May Day, each grade level at the school performs a dance routine to a selection of music that correlates with their theme.

This year, the themes were as colorful, fun and “cool” as ever.

The pre-K students, dressed in shower caps and holding loofahs, performed their routine to the “Splish, Splash” by Bobby Darin.

Next up were the kindergarten students, who were clad in flapper dresses and bowties. Their routine was performed with accompanying swing/jazz music.

The first graders followed with a tropical trip to Hawaii as they were adorned with leis, hula skirts and sunglasses. Their routine was performed to “Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride.”

The second grade students went for the most current celebratory theme: Cinco de Mayo. Wearing sombreros and panchos, the students did a dance number to salsa music before leading parents, teachers and fellow students with the “Chicken Dance.”

The third grade students took it back to the 50’s with their routine as they danced to Elvis Presley’s “Hound Dog” while wearing poodle skirts, white T-shirts, blue jeans and sunglasses.

Sticking to their roots moreso than the other grade levels, the fourth graders put on their boots, cowboy hats and Wranglers as they performed their routine to “Cotton-Eyed Joe”.

Finally, the fifth graders completed the May Day festivities by dancing around the May Pole.

Prior to the dance routines by the students, each grade level had their Princes and Princesses walk with each other around the grounds before the announcing of the May King and Queen.

Representing the kindergarten class were Princess Trinity Young and Prince Baker Epton (Allread’s class), Princess Ryleigh Reed and Prince Evan Huntley (Fort’s class), Princess Denise Barnwell and Prince Jordan Williams (Glenn’s class), Princess Destin’i Brown and Prince Kingston Curry (Johnson’s class), Princess Savannah Pennington and Prince Alex Chiariello (McLaurin’s class) and Princess Maci Berry and Prince Chase Biggans (Thomas’ class).

 Representing the first grade class were Princess Sophia Rahn and Prince Connor Olson (Anderson’s class), Princess Raziyah Pinckney and Prince Colby Purvis (Autry’s class), Princess Kylee Morehouse and Prince Edwards Boughner (Fessler’s class), Princess Macie Thomas and Prince Bradley Foote (Mock’s class), Princess Norah Ball and Prince Cai Dent (Parker’s class) and Princess Isabelle Rahn and Prince Ty Smith (Welch’s class).

Representing the second grade class were Princess Landon Denning and Prince Andi Cordero-Meza (Hiers’ class), Princess Patyn Covington and Prince Jamir Williams (Kemp’s class), Princess Brooke Hopman and Prince Kristopher Swinney (Royston’s class), Princess Hailey Garibo Pulido and Prince Garrett Helmly (Turner’s class) and Princess Avery Edwards and Prince Peyton Wendelken (Woodward’s class).

Representing the third grade class were Princess Lily Walters and Prince Dylan Mirucki (Bearden’s class), Princess Sophia Nunez and Prince Devaughn Jones (Huntley’s class), Princess Valeria Reyes-Garcia and Prince Sean Etzle (Reed’s class), Princess Claire Forester and Prince Dalton Crosby (Vickery’s class) and Princess Jayla Kendrick and Prince Tyler Corey (Wright’s class).

Representing the fourth grade class were Princess Lilly Hoffman and Prince Coen Thompson (Brown’s class), Princess Kaitlyn Foote and Prince Sam Giordano (Dickey’s class), Princess Olivia Morgan and Prince Zander Martin (Lee’s class) and Princess Ava Braddock and Prince Joshua Cross (Reed’s class).

Representing the fifth grade class were Princess Ashlynn Stewart and Prince Tyrone Armstrong (Booth’s class), Princess Akenyon Wallace and Princess Laura Gunn (Howell’s class), Princess Rylee Corey and Prince Hayden Eason (Kessler’s class), Princess Gabrielle Platt and Prince Jayden Evans (Potter’s class) and Princess Serenity Fordham and Prince London Glass (Rohan’s class).

Representing the Pre-K class were Flower Girl Ella Grace Tebeau and Crown Bearer Max Lynn (Whitaker’s class), Flower Girl La’Niyah Morgan and Crown Bearer Leo Escobar (Perry’s class), Flower Girl Lyllo Ashburn and Crown Bearer Michael Cohens (Posey’s class) and Flower Girl Kinsley Clayton and Crown Bearer Colton Wendelken (Tyler’s class).

The May Day Queen was Logan Vining, the Lady in Waiting was Diana Perez and the Maid of Honor was Aubrey Lugo.
Volunteers hold 'Demo Party' to help Rincon Woman Rebuild Storm-Damaged Home
Miss Peggy
Matt Evans, owner of Centaur Home Renovations, consults with volunteer Janel Kearney while directing the demolition process. (Mya Taylor / Effingham Herald)
Mya Taylor
Updated: Aug 28, 2025, 3:11 PM
Published: Aug 28, 2025, 2:43 PM

RINCON, Ga. — Volunteers attended a “demo party” over the weekend to help demolish the interior of 82-year-old Miss Peggy’s home, which was left severely damaged by a storm years ago.

A gloomy forecast and threat of rain did not deter the group from working. When the seven volunteers arrived, they were greeted by Centaur Home Renovations owner Matt Evans, who is leading the renovations. Masks, trash bags and tools were handed out as music played from a large speaker and fans helped keep volunteers cool in the summer heat. Orange arrows painted on the walls directed workers to the areas slated for demolition.

Miss Peggy
Leigh Carter strips wallpaper as part of the interior demolition of Miss Peggy’s home during a community ‘demo party’ in Rincon. (Mya Taylor / Effingham Herald)

Leigh Carter, the first to arrive, was one of several who stripped walls and tore out drywall. Carter’s efforts go beyond renovations — she has also driven Miss Peggy to doctor’s appointments and helped her get rehoused last week at Family Promise of Effingham after a brief displacement.

“We want to get Miss Peggy back home in a safe place to live,” Carter said.

Volunteers spread out through the home, removing damaged drywall and hauling debris to a dumpster in the driveway.

“I decided to join because I thought helping somebody would be a good thing to do,” volunteer Sydney Kearney said. “I just thought it would be nice to volunteer.”

Miss Peggy
Grayson Heaton uses a crowbar to help remove damaged walls during the volunteer demolition day. (Mya Taylor / Effingham Herald)

Repairs underway
Michael’s Roofing of Meldrim completed the first major repair by rebuilding and installing a new roof. The previous roof had been damaged by a fallen tree, which led to water leaks, mildew and mold spreading through the home.

Now Evans and Centaur Home Renovations are leading the next phase of work. Evans joined volunteers in the demolition and said community support has been growing since news of Miss Peggy’s situation was first reported in the Effingham Herald. 

“Since the article was first published, we’ve gotten quite a few reach-outs from people willing to donate their time,” Evans said. “We’ve also had four different dumpster companies donate dumpsters for the cause as well.”

Community organizations are also pitching in. Family Promise and the Manna House Food Pantry and Thrift Store have pledged to provide furniture and other materials once renovations are complete.

The most recent setback came when the septic tank lids collapsed, causing the system to stop working. Evans said crews are now cleaning the tank and clearing the lines.

Miss Peggy
Benny Carter tosses an old mattress into a dumpster as part of cleanup efforts at Miss Peggy’s storm-damaged home. (Mya Taylor / Effingham Herald)

What’s still needed
“After the demo is completed, we can start looking for more materials we’ll need like lumber, drywall, paint, flooring and more to get the house back together,” Evans said.

Additional materials still needed include:

  • 25 2x4x8 studs

  • Four sheets of OSB sheathing

  • Twenty 12-foot deck boards (5/4)

  • Twelve 12-foot sheets of sheetrock

  • 36-inch vanity

  • Two toilets

  • Four ceiling fans

  • Two bathroom fans

  • 60-inch vanity

  • 60-inch fiberglass tub and surround

  • 60-inch fiberglass shower and surround

  • 1,600 square feet of LVP flooring

  • 36-inch exterior door

  • Rolls of drywall tape

  • Buckets of drywall mud

  • Bags of 20-minute drywall joint compound

  • 100 linear feet of baseboard and quarter round

  • 10 gallons of Kilz or Cover Stain

  • 10–12 gallons of white paint

There is no estimated timeline for completion, as more funds and supplies are needed. The GoFundMe campaign for Miss Peggy’s home renovations has raised more than $1,400.

Donations can be made at gofundme.com/f/help-ms-peggy-return-to-a-safe-home.

Miss Peggy
The interior of Miss Peggy’s home shows ceiling stripped and debris cleared in preparation for renovations. (Mya Taylor / Effingham Herald)