- The Mallard family is honoring their daughter, Bailey, by creating scholarships for young performers.
- Bailey, who died in a biking accident last summer, was a natural performer and loved coming to the Draper Historic Theatre.
- Scholarships will be announced April 29 by Bailey's parents prior to a performance of "Shrek the Musical."
DRAPER — A Draper family is turning heartbreak into hope after the loss of their daughter, finding comfort in helping other children pursue the same passion she loved.
Bailey Mallard, 12, died last summer after a mountain biking accident along the Bonneville Shoreline Trail.
Bailey was a natural performer. She loved coming to the Draper Historic Theatre and taking the stage with Studio Kids Productions, where music, storytelling and creativity filled her life.
"She just loved performing," her mother, Katie Mallard, said. "She was outgoing and quick‑witted."
On June 12 of last year, Bailey was seriously injured in a mountain biking accident. She later died from her injuries, leaving her family and community grieving the loss of a bright, joyful young girl.
"Our lives were just shattered that day," Katie Mallard said.
Returning to the theater has not been easy for Bailey's parents, but they said there is a powerful reason they are coming back.
The Mallards are establishing scholarships through Studio Kids Productions in Bailey's honor — providing a full year of tuition for one boy and one girl who share her love for theater. They hope the scholarships will give other children the same opportunities Bailey cherished.
"We want to keep Bailey's memory alive and share that with our community in the ways that she loved, through theater, was the perfect place," Katie Mallard said.
Her father, Simon Mallard, said Bailey had a natural gift for lifting others up.
"She loved getting people involved and seeing people be their best," he said. "We're looking for those similar sorts of values of kindness, empathy, support (and) encouragement, that big heart personality."
The family said paying it forward is exactly what Bailey would have wanted. One of her favorite sayings was, "Be better than you were yesterday."
Bailey's parents will be at the Draper Historic Theatre on Wednesday, April 29, when the scholarships are announced ahead of a performance of "Shrek the Musical." Studio Kids Productions will also offer additional scholarships in Bailey's honor, ensuring her legacy continues to inspire young performers for years to come.
"She just had so much joy and love to give," Katie Mallard said.
