The board of directors of the Wood County Electric Charitable Foundation recently reviewed grant requests and awarded $54K to 5 organizations that serve the citizens of Wood County Electric Cooperative’s 9-county service territory. That brings the cumulative 2020 grant total given to 19 organizations to $127,817. The total amount given to local groups since the first donation in 2017 has now reached $358,707.
The WCECF is funded by WCEC members through Operation Round Up, whereby members donate pennies each month. When added together, these donations from across the cooperative’s entire membership allow for a significant local impact.
The recipients of these most recent 5 checks, and the projects they will fund, are: The Wood County Child Protection Board ($12,500), to provide a $250 allowance for back-to-school clothing and supplies for each school-aged foster child in Wood County; The Myrtle Springs Alumni Association in Wills Point ($9,000), to contribute to the replacement of the historic 91-year old community center used by the citizens of Van Zandt County as a gathering place and historic landmark; The Pilot Club of Quitman ($10,000), to be used for their signature project of installing inclusive playground grade oversized musical instruments in the Governor Jim Hogg Public Park; and the Van Zandt County Veterans Memorial ($2,500), to upgrade the electrical, lighting and irrigation systems for the well-visited public veterans memorial; and to Hooves and Halos ($20,000), which offers free equine and recreational activities and play days to special needs individuals.
About these donations, Trey Teaff, the Foundation’s Executive Director said, “Operation Round Up, and the organizations that it supports, are a shining example of the exceptional charitable works that bring such light to our East Texas Communities. This is a year we all hunger for good news, and I cannot think of any better news than that of celebrating our local charitable organizations by helping them do their good work to the benefit of our region. WCEC members are the ones that make this possible, and they are to be congratulated.”