DISTRICT # TRUST BOARD MEMBER NAME & AREA REPRESENTED

1. Sue Salmonson, Northome, Mizpah, Gemmel (218) 897-5997
2. Lynette Davidson, Wirt, Dora Lake (218) 659-2737
3. Thomas Boland, Effie (218) 743-6732
4. Elizabeth Rahier, Bigfork, Scenic (218) 245-3147
5. Bonnie Korte, Talmoon, Marcell (218) 832-3669
6. Donald Lukenbill Jr., Island Lake, Funkley, Alvwood (218) 897-5980
7. David Gerdes, Squaw Lake, Inger (218) 659-4395
8. Paul Hanson, Marcell (218) 832-3541
9. Heather Schjenken, Deer River (218) 246-9330

The Trust Board will be meeting on October 18 at the Cooperative Office in Bigfork to review grant requests and make awards.

Operation Round-Up is part of a national effort by cooperatives to support their communities through a voluntary rounding up of their bills to the next whole dollar amount. If a bill is $37.42 for the month, the bill is rounded up to $38.00 with the difference (58 cents) going into a trust fund. The most anyone would contribute would be $0.99 per month or $11.88 per year with the average contribution of $0.50 per month or $6.00 per year. Your billing statement shows the amount contributed to this tax-exempt fund each month. All money received will be distributed back to various community organizations, projects or other causes as deemed appropriate by the Board of Trustees.

If you have any questions, comments or concerns please contact Kathe Johnson at 743-3131 or (800) 762-4048. Copies of the articles and by-laws of the trust are also available at the Co-op headquarters.

Do RoundUp dollars matter?

The Squaw Lake volunteer firemen were using outdated and hand-me-down turnout gear, said fire chief Tom Kallio, when they began looking for ways to finance the approximately $32,500 cost of the new and safer outfits. They located a FEMA grant, but it needed at least a ten percent match.

The organization put proceeds of fundraisers like the Perchjerkers fishing contest and fireman’s ball toward the project. RoundUp funds contributed $1,000. Last June the firemen were able to order 23 pairs of turnout gear suitable for fighting structure fires, one for each firefighter. The gear is heavier than that used for wildfires, made of a Kevlar and Nomex blend and with prebent sleeves for ease of movement.

Helping to provide adequate firefighting equipment is one way RoundUp funds help in the community, but there is a wide variety of needs and the drawing below is a thank you card from children who have used the new playground equipment at the Swampsider’s Snowmobile Club, funded partially through a RoundUp grant.