PRECO Awards $72,000 in College Scholarships
PrintOperation Round Up, Peace River Electric Cooperative’s (PRECO) charitable foundation, has awarded $72,000 in college scholarships to 12 local students. Since Operation Round Up was founded in 2005, more than 150 students in the Cooperative’s 10-county service area have been awarded college scholarships totaling more than $719,000.
Operation Round Up’s nine-member board of directors screens each application thoroughly to choose the most qualified candidates.
To apply, students must live in a home served by PRECO, maintain good grades, be active in the community and submit an essay describing their life, career and educational goals.
“The cost of obtaining a college degree continues to rise year after year,” explains Ellen Hamel, Operation Round Up board chairperson. “The board is pleased to help make college more affordable for students and parents.”
Funding for Operation Round Up comes from the donations of PRECO’s member-consumers. Each participating member’s electric bill is rounded up to the next dollar to provide charitable funds in the areas of food, shelter, clothing, medical, the environment and education. Participation is voluntary; members may join or opt out at any time by contacting the Cooperative.
To learn more about Peace River Electric Cooperative and Operation Round Up, visit www.preco.coop.
Scholarship Winners
Lakewood Ranch High School
Cole Clark $8,000
Julianne Dillon $8,000
Kyle Wray $8,000
New Gate School
Benjamin Bogard $8,000
Sarasota Military Academy
Erick Barnard $8,000
Alex Murphy $4,000
Southeast High School
Brittany Hasiak $4,000
Geoffrey Simon $4,000
Victoria Sinclair $4,000
Janet Worthman $4,000
Post-High School Students
John Thompson $8,000
Emily Melchior $4,000
Total $72,000