Operation Round Up® gives more than $65,000 to community programs

Tuesday | January 18, 2022
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Through the contributions of Lake Country Power's participating members, the Operation Round Up® Electric Trust Board recently approved $65,466 in assistance to local community programs during its quarterly meeting.

The cooperative’s Trust Board reviewed and considered 49 grant applications and distributed funds to 45 projects and programs this past quarter. Since the program’s inception in October 2004, more than $2.8 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

  • Virginia Salvation Army

  • Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota

  • Floodwood Services and Training Inc.

  • Hope Lutheran Church

  • Second Harvest North Central Food Bank

  • Boys & Girls Clubs of Grand Rapids/Greenway

  • Northland Area Family Center

  • Little Sand Group Home

  • American Association of University Women Ely branch

  • True Friends

  • Ely Community Resource, Inc.

  • Voyageurs Lutheran Ministry

  • Greenway School District

  • ISD 696 Early Education

  • Cherry Elementary School

  • Story Portage

  • Cherry School Band

  • Mesabi Symphony Orchestra

  • Loon Country Quilters

  • Holy Trinity Lutheran Church Quilters

  • Trinity Lutheran Quilters

  • Quad City Quilting Sisters of St. Joseph’s Church

  • Lakeside Quilters of Tamarack

  • Patchwork Pals Plus

  • Our Savior’s Lutheran WELCA quilting

  • First Lutheran Church Ely mission quilts

  • Riverside Quilters

  • Wee Care Sewers/Life Care Center

  • Bethlehem Lutheran Church quilters

  • Queen of Peace Quilters

  • Cass County Historical Society

  • Itasca County Agricultural Association

  • The Lakeside Community Clubhouse

  • Township of Breitung

  • Rice River Senior Citizens Club

  • Shamrock Township

  • Itasca County Family YMCA

  • Longville Lions dog park and garden expansion

  • Longville Lions Eagle Scout project

  • ANGELS

  • Feeley Township

  • Ely ArtWalk

  • Ely Winter Festival

  • Lakes Area Dive Team

  • Field Township/Field Northwoods School

Operation Round Up® is a charitable program unique to electric co-ops, which is 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.

Among Lake Country Power’s 43,000 members, nearly 64 percent of all active electric accounts participate in the program through voluntary contributions. Interested members can opt into the Operation Round Up® program by calling the cooperative at 800-421-9959 or using an online form at lakecountrypower.coop.

Applications are available online at www.lakecountrypower.coop (My Cooperative > Community > Operation Round Up®). The next application deadline is February 15.