Blue Ridge Electric Sends Middle School Students to Prestigious Basketball Camps

Lenoir, North Carolina (June 10, 2010) – Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation and North Carolina’s Touchstone Energy Cooperatives have partnered with North Carolina State University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to offer three local students scholarships to attend prestigious basketball camps this summer.

Cari Mitchell from Hudson Middle School and Emily Church from Kings Creek School were awarded NC State Kellie Harper Basketball Camp Scholarships. The camp is being held June 20-23.

Cari is the daughter of Claricea and K.C. Mitchell. Emily is the daughter of Heather and Thomas Rutland and Phillip Church, Jr.

Ashton Smith from Collettsville School was selected to attend UNC’s Roy Williams’ Carolina Basketball Camp being held June 19-23. Ashton is the son of Lynn and Kristi Smith.

The Caldwell County students were among 54 rising sixth through eighth graders across the state to be selected as Touchstone Energy Sports Camp scholarship recipients. Their selection was as a result of their excellent applications and accompanying essays that explained why they wanted to attend the camps.
“We are thrilled to award young men and women with these outstanding opportunities to receive instruction from some of the finest college basketball coaches anywhere,” said Jeff Almond, Caldwell district manager. Almond surprised each winner by visiting their schools to announce the winners and presenting them with gifts that will be useful at camp. “In addition to learning new basketball fundamentals, I know these students will take away maturity and leadership that will serve them well in the future.” Almond continued.

Kellie Harper was named head coach of the Wolfpack women’s basketball team last season, after five winning seasons as head coach at Western Carolina. Roy Williams is in his seventh season with the Tar Heels and has led the team to two national titles and three Final Fours. Both coaches will use the help of their staff and current players to conduct their camps. Both camps will work closely with each camper to develop skills that will benefit the young athletes both on and off the court.

The Kellie Harper and Roy Williams Basketball Camp Scholarship programs are part of Blue Ridge Electric’s ongoing commitment to local communities. Blue Ridge Electric is a member-owned electric cooperative serving some 73,000 members in Caldwell, Watauga, Ashe and Alleghany counties.