Peavey Custom Shop Guitar to Benefit Miss America Scholarship Fund

PEAVEY INT'L. HEADQUARTERS — Miss America 2008 Kirsten Haglund shared her inspiring story with a crowd of young women today at Peavey International Headquarters in Meridian, Mississippi.

Peavey invited the aspiring Broadway star and Dean's List scholar at the University of Cincinnati Conservatory of Music to accept a unique piece of Miss America history that will help the next generation of young women attend college.

Mary Peavey, President of Peavey Electronics and education advocate, presented Haglund with a Peavey Scenic Serieselectric guitar from the award-winning Peavey Custom Shop that bears the signatures of 70 Miss Americas. The one-of-a-kind guitar will be auctioned to benefit the Miss America Foundation, the world's largest provider of scholarship assistance for young women. In 2007, the foundation dispensed more than $45 million in cash and scholarship assistance.

"I am honored to be with Peavey Electronics today to receive this wonderful gift on behalf of The Miss America Organization," stated Kirsten Haglund. "It is truly a unique guitar with signatures from 70 Miss Americas that have gone before me, and we are delighted to be able to receive it to help raise funds for our Scholarship Program."

Commented Mary Peavey, "The Miss America Organization enables more women to attend college than any other scholarship organization. Peavey is proud to donate this unique musical instrument to help build America's next generation of leaders."

Peavey Scenic Series guitars are crafted by seasoned musical-instrument luthiers through patented techniques in the company's Meridian custom shop, and each guitar can be customized with themed graphics to showcase communities, organizations or special causes.

In addition to being a great promotional tool and a source of pride, the Peavey Scenic Series guitar also helps support Mississippi's afterschool programs. For every Scenic Series guitar sold, Peavey will donate $400 to the Afterschool Alliance of Mississippi, an advocacy organization that brings together policymakers, educators, youth development workers and parents to improve outcomes for the state's children through afterschool programs. Mary Peavey is a board member of the national Afterschool Alliance.

Rich in history and social significance, the Miss America Organization is a not-for-profit organization that has maintained a tradition for many decades of empowering American women to achieve their personal and professional goals, while providing a forum in which to express their opinions, talent and intelligence. For more information, please visit www.missamerica.org.