Operation Round Up gives $53,000 to community programs

Through the contributions of Lake Country Power’s participating members, the Operation Round Up Trust Board recently approved $53,000 in assistance to local community programs during its quarterly meeting.

The cooperative’s trust board reviewed and considered 53 grant applications and distributed funds to 51 projects and programs this past quarter. Since the program’s inception in October 2004, more than $2.2 million has been distributed to community-based projects and programs.

All funds generated through Operation Round Up are set aside in a trust fund. A voluntary trust board of nine co-op members administers the trust. Of the funds collected through the program, 100 percent is distributed to charitable organizations through an application and selection process. The trust board uses special guidelines and policies when choosing recipients.

Most recent recipients include:

• Jacobson Food Shelf

• Tri-Community Food Shelf

• Walker Area Food Shelf

• Longville Area Food Shelf

• McGregor Area Food Shelf

• Deer River Area Food Shelf

• Eveleth Gilbert Public Schools – athletics

• Floodwood boys high school volleyball

• Power Lunch Reading Program

• Evergreen PAC ATV Club

• Itasca County Sheriff’s Office (DARE)

• Laurentian Environmental Center – Youth Eco Solutions

• Vermilion Community College TRIO student support

• South Ridge School

• Life House youth center life hacks program

• Greenway music boosters

• Itasca County expansion of WoodWorks

• Camp Olson YMCA

• Reif Arts Council area youth art fund

• Cromwell-Wright School, ISD 95

• Northstar Foundation arts camp

• Deer River Area Health Care Foundation

• North Country RIDE

• Riverside Drifters Saddle Club

• Moose Lake Area Historical Society

• Loon Country Quilters

• St. Louis County Volunteer Rescue Squad

• Lawron Church Quilters

• Ma & Pa Kettle Days

• Sisu Heritage security system

• Minnesota State Old Time Fiddle Championships

• Ely Area Concert Series

• Sturgeon Lake Chain Association

• Let’s Go Fishing Itasca Chapter

• Jacobson Community Center

• Longville Area Community Choir

• Itasca County Land Department

• Wee Care Sewers at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church

• City of Cromwell community center

• Carlton County 4-H Rowdy Wranglers 4-H horse project

• Storage Portage in Ely

• Hill City Chamber of Commerce

• Advocates Against Domestic Abuse

• ElderCircle Bone Builders

• ElderCircle Groceries to Go

• North St. Louis County Habitat for Humanity

• Taconite Fire Department Relief Association

• Quad City Food Shelf

• Itasca County Agricultural Association

• Carlton SWCD-Soil & Water Conservation District

• Iron Range Partnership for Sustainability

Operation Round Up is a charitable program unique to electric co-ops, designed to provide financial assistance to worthwhile activities and community projects by “rounding up” members’ electric bills to the nearest dollar. The average donation of each participating Lake Country Power member is less than $6 annually.

More than 71 percent of Lake Country Power members participate in the program through voluntary contributions. Interested members can opt into the Operation Round Up program by calling Lake Country Power at 800-421-9959 or completing the online form at Lake Country Power’s website, http://www.lakecountrypower.coop.

Applications for receiving monetary contributions from the program are also available online at the website. The next application deadline is May 15.

Lake Country Power, is a Touchstone Energy cooperative serving parts of eight counties in northeastern Minnesota. The rural electric cooperative provides services to nearly 43,000 members and has offices located in Grand Rapids, Kettle River and Mountain Iron.