Grants Available From Blue Ridge Electric
For Immediate Release
Contact: Renee Whitener, Director of Public Relations, Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation, (828) 758-2383, Ext. 3213; Pager: 1-800-471-1323; or E-mail: Renee Whitener
Lenoir, North Carolina (August 30, 2007) – Deadlines are approaching for two grant programs sponsored by Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation, with applications due at the end of September.
Applications from teachers for Bright Ideas grants are due September 28 and applications for community service grants to be awarded through the Blue Ridge Electric Members Foundation must be received by September 30.
All of the grants will be awarded in the Blue Ridge Electric service area.
The Bright Ideas grants, ranging from $100 to $1,500, support innovative classroom projects in grades K-12 that are not part of the regular school budget or curriculum. The program, which covers a large part of North Carolina, is sponsored by the state’s 27 electric cooperatives.
Last year, funds totaling $17,997 were awarded to 20 classroom teachers to directly benefit thousands of area students.
Blue Ridge is celebrating its fourteenth year of offering Bright Ideas grants as part of its commitment to education. Since 1994, more than $231,000 in grants has impacted over 65,000 students. Across the state, more than $4.5 million has been granted to teachers for over 4,000 projects benefiting around 800,000 students.
To apply for a grant, go to www.ncbrightideas.com for the online application. Award winners will be announced in early November.
A total of $30,000 will be awarded through the Blue Ridge Electric Members Foundation this fall to area agencies and organizations that provide important services to Blue Ridge members and local communities. The foundation was established in late 2006, and this marks its second grant cycle. Another $30,000 was granted to eight organizations in four counties (Caldwell, Watauga, Ashe and Alleghany) in the spring.
Awards were made to projects ranging two after school programs that target at-risk students, and an assistance program for the elderly dealing with the Medicare prescription drug program and a pantry that distributes food to the needy.
Applications are available online for downloading only through www.BlueRidgeEMC.com. The completed application and forms should be mailed to the address on the website. Grant recipients will be announced November 30.
Funding for the Members Foundation comes from Operation Round Up, a Blue Ridge Electric program that allows members to round up their electric bills to the nearest dollar, and from a donation made by Blue Ridge Energies, the cooperative’s heating fuels subsidiary.
As member support and participation in Operation Round Up grows, additional funds will be available for Members Foundation grants.
Additional information on both programs can be found through the “In the Community” link at www.BlueRidgeEMC.com.
