Polk-Burnett’s Operation Round Up Donates $16,050 to 23 Local Programs

CENTURIA – Polk-Burnett’s Operation Round Up awarded $16,050 to 23 community organizations at its April 4, 2018, meeting. Funding for Operation Round Up is donated by members of Polk-Burnett Electric Cooperative who round their monthly electric bill up to the next even dollar amount. Grant recipients are selected quarterly by a committee of co-op members, with financial donations awarded to nonprofit organizations that improve our local quality of life.

“Improving our local quality of life with reliable electricity, extraordinary service and community support is at the core of what we do every day,” said Polk-Burnett General Manager Steve Stroshane.

Operation Round Up grant recipients for spring 2018 are:

1. Frederic Elementary School, $500, to support Winter Olympics theme unit and field trip 
2. Open Cupboard Food Shelf, $750, to support food backpack program
3. Amery Women’s Club, $750, to purchase books for Amery second graders
4. Yellow Lake Food Distribution, $1,500, to purchase food for local families
5. Amery Area Food Pantry, $1,500, to purchase food and household goods for local families
6. Polk County Home-School Liaison Program, $500, to purchase books and training materials
7. Community Referral Agency, $500, to fund afterschool, weekend and summer activities for children at shelter
8. Luck School District, $250, to replace stove in family and consumer science classroom 
9. Webster Senior Center, $500, to repair walkway and kitchen floor
10. Siren High School AODA, $250, to fund guest speaker on making healthy choices and saying no to drugs and alcohol
11. Polk County Health Department, $1,000, to purchase car seats for local families
12. Domestic Animal Wellness Center & Wildlife Rescue, $1,000, to supplement cost of Lyme disease vaccine
13. Community Homestead, $800, to purchase kayak for people with disabilities
14. Grantsburg Community Education, $1,000, to support STAR mentorship program
15. United Pioneer Home Auxiliary, $500, to purchase a communion table for residents
16. Amery Hospital Foundation, $500, to expand PowerUp healthy eating and lifestyle program for Luck students
17. Osceola Public Library, $500, to purchase coffee mug printing kit
18. Grantsburg Revitalization Operation, $500, to build a fitness trail at the school for school and community
19. North Lakes Community Clinic, $1,000, to help purchase wheelchair lift at Turtle Lake dental clinic
20. Mental Health Task Force of Polk County, $500, to create an educational video about task force services
21. Osceola Medical Center, $1,000, to help build handicapped-accessible playground
22. Luck School Crisis Committee, $500, to help purchase emergency radios for school staff
23. Turtle Lake Art Department, $250, to purchase iPads for creating and sharing artwork

Nonprofit organizations interested in applying for a grant or co-op members who’d like to round their bill up in support of Operation Round Up may contact 800-421-0283 or polkburnett.com. The next application deadline is June 1.

– from Polk-Burnett Electric Cooperative

Polk-Burnett’s Operation Round Up awarded $1,000 to Osceola Medical Center for its handicapped-accessible, community playground. L-R:  Kris McCormack, Polk-Burnett Operation Round Up board director; Sue Gerlach, Osceola Medical Center Foundation director; and Jarod Boerst, Polk-Burnett Electric Cooperative engineer.

Polk-Burnett’s Operation Round Up awarded $1,500 to the Amery Area Food Pantry. L-R:  Merle Bergren, Polk-Burnett Operation Round Up board director; Shirley Klopotek, co-executive director, Amery Area Food Pantry; and Gary Ganje, Polk-Burnett Operation Round Up board director.