Two gifts in one-- holiday gift idea for a donation to help bring electricity to people in rural Haiti

BRAHAM, Minn. - East Central Energy (ECE) offers its Watt's Cookin' cookbook to support an effort to bring electricity to residents of Pignon, Haiti. The goal is to raise $24,000 to purchase equipment and pay travel expenses for volunteer linemen who donate vacation time to install electric power infrastructure.

ECE members, employees, and directors submitted more than 500 recipes for the Watt's Cookin' cookbook. The recipes cover everything from appetizers, soups and salads through main and side dishes to desserts. A cookbook can be picked up for a $12 donation at any ECE service center (Braham, Finlayson and Milaca, Minn., and Superior, Wis.). By phone or mail order add $3 for shipping and handling.

"ECE members now have an opportunity to give a wonderful gift and support a tremendous humanitarian program," says Pat Moulton, ECE administrative assistant and coordinator of the cookbook project. "We have already begun to bring electric power for the first time to this very poor rural region in Haiti. Seeing the excitement and gratitude in their eyes reminds us that America experienced this same thrill a century ago with the electrification of our rural areas."

ECE has partnered with other Minnesota electric cooperatives, the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association International Foundation and the village of Pignon, Haiti. Cookbooks may be ordered by calling the ECE offices at 1-800-254-7944. Payment options include a credit card or individuals may have it charged to their energy bill. Order forms are also available in Co-op Advantage, ECE's member newsletter.

About East Central Energy

East Central Energy www.eastcentralenergy.com is a member-owned electric cooperative serving more than 55,000 homes, farms and businesses in east central Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin. ECE also provides Internet and long distance services.