Community/News: News Releases

March 2008

For Immediate Release

Contact: Vicky Herkenhoff
Position: Communications Specialist
Stearns Electric Association
Phone: 320-259-6601
1-800-448-1737
Fax: 320-259-7099

Members of Stearns Electric Association make a difference through
Operation Round Up® dollars

The Stearns Electric Association Trust Board recently awarded $30,750 in Operation Round Up grants to 99 area organizations. Since the programs inception in 1993, the program has awarded over $1 million to non-profit organizations and community service programs in the Stearns Electric Association service territory.

Money for the program is collected from Stearns Electric Association members, who allow their monthly electric bills to be rounded up to the next highest dollar.  Nearly 72 percent of the co-op’s members are participating in the charitable program. In 2007, each member’s donation averaged $4.90. The donated money is placed in a special trust fund.

Through this charitable giving program, the following organizations received grants in March:

Fire Departments – South Haven Fire Department ($1,000), Avon Fire Department ($500), Freeport Fire Department ($500), Kimball Fire Department ($500) and Watkins Fire Department ($500).

Emergency Responders – Melrose Area Ambulance ($500), Central MN Emergency Services Chaplaincy ($250), City of Kimball Police Department ($250), Morrison County Sheriff’s Mounted Posse ($200), St. Cloud Police Department ($200) and Stearns County Sheriff’s Office ($200).

Health and Wellness – Camp Lebanon ($500), Friendship Ventures ($250), Independent Lifestyles, Inc. ($250), Memory Disorders Clinic ($250), Parent Partnership Project-Todd/Morrison County ($250), CentraCare Pine Villa ($250), Breast Cancer 3-Day ($150) and MS Walk/MS Society ($150).

Parks & Lake Associations – Kings Lake Association, Inc. ($250), Hemker Wildlife Park ($150), Holy Cross School playground ($150) and Sauk River Chain of Lakes Association ($100)

Sports & Recreation Groups – National Wild Turkey Federation ($250), St. Nicholas Athletic Association ($250), Stearns County Pheasants Forever ($250), Apollo Baseball Diamond Club ($100), Sabres Booster Club, Inc. ($100), St. Cloud Tech Track and Field ($100) and Swanville Wildlife Protection Club ($100).

Community Organizations – Melrose Transportation Committee ($500), Stearns County Fair Association ($500), The Salvation Army/HeatShare ($500), Stearns Historical Museum ($500), Mel-TV ($400), Elrosa Centennial Fund ($250), Paynesville Area Center ($250), St. Francis Music Center ($250), Sauk Centre Area Historical Society ($250), Sinclair Lewis Foundation ($250), Sauk Centre Lions Club ($250) and Gordon Pleasant Hill Cemetery ($200) and Stearns County Master Gardeners ($150).

Individuals – One individual received $500 for medical expenses.

Senior Programs – AARP Tax Counseling for the Elderly ($300), Holdingford Senior Citizens ($250), Senior Dining of Sauk Centre ($250), Senior Singers ($250), Let’s Go Fishing with Seniors ($150) and Sauk Lake Senior Fishing and Boating ($150).

Youth Programs – Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central MN ($250), Eagle Kids Community Education ($200), Two River Trailblazers ($150), Boy Scout Pack 84 ($100), Stephen Danielson Eagle Scout Project ($100) and Kayla Fischer Girl Scout Silver Award Project ($100).

Food Shelves- Albany Food Shelf, Brooten-Belgrade-Elrosa Food Shelf, Caritas Family Services, Clearwater-Clear Lake Food Shelf, Eden Valley Food Shelf, Good News Food Shelf, Hearts & Hands Food Shelf, Holdingford Food Shelf, Kimball Food Shelf, Long Prairie Emergency Food Shelf, Melrose Area Food Shelf, Morrison County Food Shelf, Outreach Food Shelf, Paynesville Community Services, St. Benedict’s Food Shelf, St. Joseph Community Food Shelf, St. Stephen Food Shelf, SE Central Stearns County Foodshelf and Sauk Centre Food Shelf.  All food shelves received $500.

School Scholarship- Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa High School, Cathedral High School, Little Falls High School and Technical High School each received scholarships in the amount of $500.

Schools Providing Chemical Free Lock-in- Albany, Apollo, Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa, Cathedral, EdenValley-Watkins, Holdingford, Little Falls, Long Prairie/Grey Eagle, Melrose, Osakis, Paynesville, Rocori, Royalton, St. John’s  Prep, Sartell-St. Stephen, Sauk Centre, Swanville, Technical and Upsala.  Each school received $200.

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