“We’re quite well pleased with how Operation RoundUp has gone so far,” commented Jim Cox, ex-officio North Itasca Electric board member on the independent RoundUp community board. Over 70 percent of members on the cooperative system participate, he explained. It’s something the cooperative encourages as the money comes back to help the community.

In the RoundUp program, cooperative bills are “rounded up” to the next dollar each month to participating members. The 50 cents or less difference goes into a fund which is distributed biannually to local non-profit or school projects that need extra help. It all adds up. Those cents turn into over $20,000 each year.

Decisions on grants are made by an independent community board with representatives from each of the cooperative districts.

This year’s awards are listed below. Recipients range from a North School star lab to help for refurbishing a pumper volunteer fire truck in Bearville.

“We’re doing our part to try to keep this community healthy,” said Cox.

Applicant Organization: Project Title    Amt Awarded

• Bigfork Athletic Booster Club: Bigfork School Gym Improvement project $200.00
• Bigfork School: Bigfork School Media Center Computer $400.00
• Bigfork School: 6th Grade Trip to State Capitol $500.00
• Bigfork School: Empty Bowls $300.00
• Bigfork School: Bigfork High Cheerleading $250.00
• Bigfork School - Music Department: Storage for Band Instruments $100.00
• Bridges Kinship Mentoring: School-Based Mentoring - pilot project $500.00
• Carpenter/Bearville Twps Volunteer Fire Dept: Refurbish Pumper Truck for Bearville Vol Fire Dept $600.00
• City of Effie: Effie Sports Complex $500.00
• Deer River Close-up: Deer River Close-up Washington DC Trip $500.00
• Deer River Music Booster: DRHS Junior High Mass Band & Choir Festival $500.00
• Deer River Nordic Ski Booster Club: Nordic Ski Team Fund Raising $400.00
• Eagleview Community Foundation ISD 318: Community Technology Center (CTC) Pilot $500.00
• Eagleview Elementary: Children's Performing Arts Series $250.00
• Girl Scout Service Unit #49: Start-up Costs $250.00
• Itasca Young for Christ/Campus Life: New Orleans Mission Project $250.00
• Kootasca Senior Citizens: Metal Chair Replacement $100.00
• Marcell Family Center: Halloween Party $150.00
• Marcell Family Center: MF Center Fal/Winter programs/Auto Defibrillator $400.00
• NIJPB: Edge of the Wilderness Community Development $250.00
• NIJPB: EOW Discovery Center - Fishing Pier $100.00
• North Elementary: Phenology/Journalism for Grades 3-6 $200.00
• North Elementary PTO: Star Lab $200.00
• North School: Geography Skills $300.00
• North School Kindergarten: Field Trips $150.00
• North School: Pre-School Technology/Software $250.00
• Northome FFA: Security Gate/Fence/Artwork $100.00
• Northome Resource Center: Laptop Computer for Resource Center $400.00
• Northome School: Field Trip to St. Paul $300.00
• Northome School: Tutor-Mentor $300.00
• Northome School - Elementary Special Ed Operation: New Books $400.00
• Santa's Mitten Maids: Santa's Mitten Maids (Community Service) $250.00
• Squaw Lake Fire Dept: Flag Pole $250.00
• Swampsiders Snowmobile Club: Fire Hall Extension $300.00
• Voyageurs Area Council Boy Scouts of America: Campership Support $200.00
• White Oak Sled Dog Classic: White Oak Sled Dog Classic $300.00
• Wildwood - Plum Creek Community Club: Repair/Painting Community Club Bldg $200.00