Cohasset, Minn. – Through the contributions of Lake Country Power's participating members, the Operation Round Up® Electric Trust Board recently approved $45,940 in assistance to local community programs during its quarterly meeting in June.

The cooperative’s Trust Board reviewed and considered 31 grant applications and distributed funds to 28 projects and programs this past quarter. Since the program’s inception in October 2004, more than $2.6 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

• Fishing with Vets

• Longville Area Community Choir music in the park

• United Way of Carlton County

• Grace House of Itasca County

• St. Louis County Volunteer Rescue Squad

• Aurora Food Shelf/Arrowhead Economic Opportunity Agency

• Cook Housing Authority

• Moose Willow Sportsman Club/Youth Trap

• Itasca County Family YMCA

• Deer River Chamber of Commerce

• Project Care Free Clinic

• Siseebakwet Lake Association

• Grand Rapids North Star Women’s Club

• Jacobson Food Shelf

• Grand Rapids Police Department/City of Grand Rapids

• The Lakeside Community Clubhouse

• Lake Vermilion Traditional Pow Wow Committee

• ElderCircle

• Grace Lutheran Quilters

• HOPE: Advocates Against Domestic Abuse

• Volunteers in Education

• Open Door Coat Rack: Grand Rapids United Methodist Church

• Queen of Peace Quilters

• Buck Lake Improvement Club

• Boy Scouts of America Troop 116

• Blackberry Township

• Father’s Heart & Hands Food Shelf

• North St. Louis County 4-H

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 August 15.