Small change continues to make a big difference in local communities. Central Electric Cooperative’s Operation Round-Up® board of trustees recently approved $12,800 in grants for community projects.
Operation Round-Up is powered by cooperative members who voluntarily round up their monthly electric bill to the next dollar. The extra cents are deposited into a separate fund and used to support community-focused projects in the area.
Upon reviewing applications, the board of trustees approved the following grant awards:
- Carthage Museum and Historical Society – $1,200 for building improvements
- City of Kimball – $1,000 for ballpark improvements
- Hanson County Child Protection Team – $500 for Open Closet clothing program
- Hope Cemetery (Wessington Springs) – $1,500 for cemetery improvements
- Howard School District – $1,000 for Farm to School lunch program
- James Valley Drug and DUI Court (Mitchell) – $1,000 for participant assistance
- Little Huskies Daycare (Emery) – $1,000 for building improvements
- Plankinton Service Club – $500 for outdoor recreation
- Sunset Memorial Park Cemetery (Mitchell) – $800 for cemetery improvements
- Town N Kountry Blue Group 4-H (Sanborn County) – $1,200 for aluminum can bank
- Wessington Springs Summer Recreation Program – $1,100 for ballpark improvements
- White Lake Ambulance – $1,000 for appliances
- Woonsocket Backpack Program – $1,000 for supplies
“Great things are happening in and around our communities, and the board of trustees is proud to support these efforts,” said Tara Miller, Manager of Communications at Central Electric. “Thanks to the continued generosity of participating members, each giving about $6 per year, Operation Round-Up has invested roughly $238,000 into 170 local projects since 2016.”
The Operation Round-Up board of trustees is made up of member volunteers representing the cooperative’s service area: Merl Bechen of Mitchell, Julie Dykstra of Stickney, Clarissa Glaus of Chamberlain, Yvette Isburg of Fort Thompson, Steve Weisz of Mitchell, LeAnn Moe of Alexandria, Amber Kolousek of Wessington Springs, Tami Moore of Howard and Dawna Van Overschelde of Letcher.
Operation Round-Up grants are awarded twice each year. To learn more, call Central Electric at 800-477-2892 or visit www.centralec.coop and click on Member Programs.