Local businesses provide Pima Butte Elementary with Zachary Schumann memorial

A teary-eyed Principal Matt Montoya stood at the podium during Maricopa Unified School District’s Governing Board meeting last week to thank Maricopa businesses Ace Hardware and Maricopa Mountain Plumbing who, along with the Leaf and Feather Farm, made donations to Pima Butte Elementary School in memory of Zachary Schumann.

“Zachary was a wonderful child, and he is greatly missed by all in the community,” Montoya said.

Schumann, who lost his fight with cancer earlier this year, was a student at Pima Butte Elementary prior to the onslaught of medical problems he faced.

The donations these businesses made were two trees and a sitting stone with the words “In Loving Memory of Zachary Schumann” etched into the side.

One of the trees is planted in the kindergarten playground where Schumann used to run about with friends, and the other tree is planted on the first grade playground, where Schumann would have played this year.

“If someone is having a rough day, they can come out to our campus and sit under one of these trees,” Montoya said.

File photo