ECE Operation Round Up® grants $25,482 to charities
BRAHAM, Minn. - In autumn 2006 the East Central Energy (ECE) Trust Board for Operation Round Up®, awarded $25,482 to 10 local community service organizations. This brings the total Operation Round Up grants to date over $750 thousand. These funds originate as voluntary donations from ECE members. For members who join the program, ECE rounds up their monthly electric bill to the next whole dollar and the difference goes to the fund. Then, each quarter, an independent trust board of ECE members reviews grant requests and distributes the funds.

The most recent grants were:

• Kanabec County Commission on Aging, Mora, Minn. -- $2,000 to help provide transportation for seniors.
• Kanabec County First Responder Team, Inc., Mora, Minn. -- $3,000 to purchase emergency supplies and training manuals.
• Substance Abuse Coalition of Kanabec County, Mora, Minn. -- $3,300 to purchase equipment and services needed to support a 24/7 Kanabec County Drug and Alcohol Help Line.
• Rural AIDS Action Network, Willow River, Minn. -- $1,000 to support the organization's World AIDS Day Activities.
• Mora Public School ISD 332-ECFE, Mora, Minn. -- $982 to purchase lunches through Mora Public Schools' cafeteria for attendees to the Families Learning Together - a Minnesota Family Literacy Program.
• Home and Away Ministries/Ruby's Pantry, Pine City, Minn. -- $2,500 to assist with maintenance and fuel costs.
• Harris Volunteer Fire Department, Harris, Minn. -- $3,000 to purchase grass fire equipment.
• Braham Area Ministerium, Braham, Minn. -- $4,500 to aid with emergency lodging assistance, automobile gas assistance, and fuel (electricity, gas and oil).
• Isanti County, Cambridge, Minn. -- $5,000 in support of economic development.
• Isanti County Human Rights Commission, Cambridge, Minn. -- $200 to assist with grocery purchases for a special "diversity desserts" program.

"Many people benefit from Operation Round Up," says Julie Johnson, program administrator. "Grants support a multitude of worthwhile community service programs that may otherwise have difficulty with funding. The average yearly contribution from each participant is about $6 and the maximum gift is $11.88. That's not a lot of money from any one person but collectively it allows much good to be done. All contributions are tax deductible."

"This quarter's grants show how much can be done by pooling thousands of small contributions," says Garry Bye, ECE president and CEO. "Just imagine how much more could be done for our local communities if we could increase program participation. Currently only about 30 percent of ECE's more than 56,000 members have enrolled. We commend the generosity of those who round up and we encourage others to join the effort."

East Central Energy www.eastcentralenergy.com is a member-owned electric cooperative serving more than 56,000 homes, farms and businesses in east central Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin. ECE also provides Internet and long distance services.

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