Through Operation Round-Up, participating cooperative members round up their monthly electric bill to the next whole dollar. Several Central Electric employees contribute to the cause through payroll as well. Member and employee contributions are pooled together to support local causes through the grant program.
After reviewing more than 30 applications, the Operation Round-Up board of trustees approved the following 10 grant awards:
- $2,000 – Grass truck equipment for the Fedora Volunteer Fire Department
- $2,000 – Fire safety gear for the Kimball Volunteer Fire Department
- $1,800 – Appliances for the Wiconi Wawokiya domestic abuse shelter in Fort Thompson
- $1,500 – Appliances for Little Learners Preschool & Daycare in Emery
- $1,200 – Safety equipment for J&B Shooting Sports in Wessington Springs
- $1,000 – Fire safety gear for Buffalo County Rural Fire District in Gann Valley
- $1,000 – Grass fire rig for Rosedale Fire Department near Alexandria
- $800 – FFA jackets and scholarships for the South Dakota FFA Foundation
- $800 – Raised garden supplies for Ethan FFA
- $750 – Assistance to prevent homelessness for James Valley Drug & DUI Court in Mitchell
The Operation Round-Up board of trustees includes Julie Dykstra of Stickney, Jill Ekstrum of Kimball, Ellen Speck of Gann Valley, David Jorgenson of Mitchell, LeAnn Moe of Alexandria, Scott Kolousek of Wessington Springs, Connie Hattervig of Carthage, Carla Amick of Letcher and Merl Bechen of Mitchell. The cooperative’s eight-county service area includes Aurora, Brule, Buffalo, Davison, Hanson, Jerauld, Miner and Sanborn Counties.
Central Electric Cooperative members and employees have invested nearly $160,000 into their local communities through Operation Round-Up. The funds are awarded to organizations that make a positive impact in the communities of Central Electric members.
The next grant application deadline is November 1. For more information, please call 1-800-477-2892, visit www.centralec.coop/operation-round-up or speak with your local county’s trustee.