Blue Ridge Electric Awards Ashe Educators Grants for Innovative Teaching Projects

For Immediate Release

Contact: Renee Whitener, Director of Corporate Communications, Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation, (828) 758-2383 ext. 3213; Pager:1-800-471-1323; or E-mail: Renee Whitener

West Jefferson, North Carolina (November 19, 2002) –
The Touchstone Energy hot air balloon made an appearance at Mountain View Middle School today to help Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation present Bright Ideas grants totaling $5,050 awarded to six local educators at three different schools in Ashe County.

Bright Ideas is an academic grants program sponsored by Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation in conjunction with the North Carolina Electric Membership Corporation and its 26 other member electric cooperatives. Bright Ideas grants help further traditional academic learning by providing financial support for innovative scholastic projects that go beyond available school funds.

The Touchstone Energy hot air balloon, which stands over seven stories tall, is the goodwill ambassador for the nation’s Touchstone Energy network of over 550 electric cooperatives like Blue Ridge Electric delivering electric power and energy solutions to over 16 million member-owners.

Winners of the grants are:

Cathy Shepherd, of Mountain View Elementary, for “World Wide Art” to benefit 2,000 students. The grant totaled $200.
Shera Ashley, of Ashe County Middle, for “Conflict Resolution the Peaceful Way” to benefit 57 students. The grant was for $250.
Rick Gardner, of Mountain View Elementary, for “New Beginnings” to benefit 765 students. The grant was for $1,650.
Dana Johnson, of Ashe County Middle, for “M*E*S*H” to benefit 103 students. The grant totaled $1,200.
Theresa Church, of Mountain View Elementary, for “Passport to Europe” to benefit 50 students. The grant was for $500.
Pat Kincheloe Morrison, of Ashe County High, for “Uniting Peacefully” to benefit 44 students. The grant totaled $1,250.

In addition to the Bright Ideas grants, a check from Blue Ridge Electric was also presented to Ashe County’s Education Endowment Fund to benefit local educational efforts.

Educators interested in applying for Bright Ideas grants are invited to do so on an annual basis. Each September, Blue Ridge Electric seeks applications from area educators and principals serving grades K-12 in public schools. Grants are awarded in amounts from $100 to a maximum of $2,000. For the 2002-2003 school year, Blue Ridge Electric received sixty-two Bright Ideas grants from schools in its service territory in Caldwell, Watauga, Ashe, Alleghany, Avery and Wilkes counties. Over $17,000 in funds is being awarded in November to 19 teachers and schools to directly benefit thousands of area students. This is the ninth year Blue Ridge Electric has offered Bright Ideas grants as part of its support for local education. To date, the cooperative has awarded $158,000 and provided direct funding assistance that has impacted nearly 50,000 students.

To learn more about the Bright Ideas grants program, visit Blue Ridge Electric’s web site at www.BlueRidgeEMC.com.