Spoleto Festival USA hosts the Sixth Annual Mary Ramsay Civic Award luncheon on Friday, April 7
March 20, 2017
On April 7 at 12:30pm, Spoleto Festival USA will present its 2017 Mary Ramsay Civic Award to Mr. Joseph H. (Peter) McGee and Mrs. Evelyn (Patti) McGee. While the McGees have been longtime supporters of the Festival, hosting countless receptions after each afternoon Dock Street Theatre chamber music concert for more than 15 years, they have also proven their devotion to many other Charleston organizations and institutions. Peter, a Navy veteran, member of the South Carolina House of Representatives from 1963 to 1968, and a Charleston City Council member from 1971 to 1975, has also served as president of the South Carolina Historical Society and Historic Charleston Foundation. Patti’s notable achievements include serving as president of the Junior League of Charleston and the Women’s Council of the Carolina Arts Association, as well as becoming a founding board member of the Charleston Horticultural Society in 2000. During the April 7 luncheon, world-renowned flutist Paula Robison, a former co-director of Spoleto Festival USA’s chamber music concerts, will present the McGees’ award. The Reverend Cress Darwin will lead the afternoon’s invocation.
Recognizing extraordinary contributions of civic and charitable leadership within the Charleston community, the Mary Ramsay Civic Award was established in 2012. The honor is named after Mary Croghan Ramsay, one of Charleston’s great leaders and philanthropists, and a longtime champion of the Festival and the performing arts. Past recipients have included John and Norma Palms (2012), Charles S. Way, Jr. (2013), Dr. Raymond S. Greenberg (2014), Martha Rivers Ingram (2015), and Mayor Joseph P. Riley, Jr. (2016).
The annual luncheon, sponsored by South State Bank and benefitting Spoleto Festival USA, will take place at the Governor Thomas Bennett House. A limited number of tickets (starting at $200 each) are still available and may be purchased online at spoletousa.org or by calling 843.720.1114.
