It’s the first full month of fall, and welcome to another edition of Bright Spots—a roundup of stories showcasing electric cooperatives’ community impact. Employees have been rolling up their sleeves for their co-ops’ annual days of service at local parks and food pantries. In Indiana and Arkansas, co-ops have brought communities together through golf and sporting-clay fundraisers for local causes. And in Kansas, a co-op is recognizing another kind of lineman—high school football linemen.
A Three-State Day of Service
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About 150 employees from Dairyland Power Cooperative, 10 member-co-ops and the Wisconsin Electric Cooperative Association participated in the generation and transmission co-op’s third annual Day of Service earlier this month. The five projects involved painting structures and cleaning up storm debris at two camps, painting and landscaping at a senior center, clearing brush and debris in a state forest, unloading donations at a local United Way and painting a nearby YMCA. Two employees from the La Crosse, Wisconsin-based G&T coordinated the events in collaboration with members across Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin.
“Working together is the essence of what it means to be a co-op and that was on full display as our cooperative system came together to support local communities and the organizations that serve them,” said Dairyland President and CEO Brent Ridge.
Indiana Day of Service
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If it’s the second Friday in October, it must be Indiana’s Electric Cooperatives Community Day. Since 2014, each of the state’s 37 cooperatives sponsor a project meeting specific needs in their service area. Among those projects, Whitewater Valley REMC employees helped the Cope Environmental Center in Wayne County get ready for an annual 5K race, and volunteers from Wabash Valley Power Alliance and a local agricultural cooperative served meals at Gleaners Food Bank in Indianapolis.
“When cooperatives unite around a common purpose, our impact multiplies,” said John Cassady, CEO of IEC in Carmel. “Community Day is about showing what’s possible when we combine our efforts to improve lives across the state.”
A Hole-in-One for Giving Back
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Henry County REMC’s Cory Murphy is a journeyman lineman, golfer and now a successful fundraiser. He came up with the idea for the New Castle, Indiana, co-op’s inaugural Power Swing Classic, which raised about $13,000 for Secret Families of Henry County, a nonprofit that provides Christmas gifts, meals and support for families.
“Instead of donating a little bit of money, how about we help as many families as we can with a charitable golf outing?” said Murphy. He was among the more than 70 golfers who participated, and 24 volunteers helped before, during and after the event. The event was such a success that the co-op plans to hold another next year to benefit a different group.
Pulling for Power in Arkansas
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More than 60 sporting-clay teams from Arkansas co-ops, as well as Entergy, competed in a daylong fundraiser for the Fallen Linemen Foundation in late September. Pulling for Power raised more than $131,000, which included $50,000 in matching funds from ERMCO, a subsidiary of Arkansas Electric Cooperatives Inc. During the event, participants honored a fallen municipal utility lineworker and recognized the launch of a chapter in Arkansas.
The event was such a success that Jacksonville-based First Electric Cooperative, the main organizer, wants to expand it to two days next year. “It showcased the cooperative family at its best with neighbors helping neighbors and lifting linemen and their loved ones in times of need,” said Tonya Sexton, the co-op’s vice president of marketing.
Beltrami EV Zamboni
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Beltrami Electric Cooperative, Minnkota Power Cooperative and Otter Tail Power Co. celebrated National Drive Electric Month with an expo at Beltrami EC’s Bemidji, Minnesota, headquarters. More than 125 people turned out to test drive a range of electric cars, trucks and bikes and hear from co-op experts and EV owners about the latest charging technologies, rebates and off-peak savings programs. Other electric equipment on display included a Bobcat zero-turn mower, snowblowers, a mini-excavator, a compact track loader and the big fan favorite—an all-electric Zamboni.
“It’s exciting to see the enthusiasm from both EV owners and those curious to learn more,” said Angela Lyseng, communications specialist with Beltrami EC.
Expanding Internet Services in Rural Ohio
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Ohio’s Paulding Putnam is expanding its internet offerings through partnerships with villages outside of its service area. The co-op is partnering with village officials and local nonprofits to expand fiber to community spaces, starting in two villages, Grover Hill and Payne. When installed, the network will enable access to free Wi-Fi in fire departments, village offices, libraries and parks at 1-gigabit upload and download speeds. The co-op plans to expand fiber to other areas this year and into 2026.
“This is about more than internet—it’s about access, connection, and community,” said Randy Price, the co-op’s president and CEO.
Celebrating Another Kind of Lineman
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Wheatland Electric Cooperative is showing some love for football linemen, the workhorses of the game. Since 2019, the Kansas co-op spotlights a standout lineman from football teams at each of the 13 high schools in its southwest and central Kansas service area. The co-op contacts coaches at each school early in the week during football season for nominations based on the prior week’s performance.
The co-op shares the player’s stats and achievements on highly popular social media posts, providing “some well-deserved bragging rights,” said Director of Member Services and Corporate Communications Alli Conine. “It’s a way to celebrate the often-unsung heroes of the football field—the linemen—while also celebrating teamwork, strength and community spirit.”
Helping Volunteer Firefighters Save Lives
Volunteer firefighters in Quapaw, Oklahoma, are eagerly awaiting the arrival of a new tanker truck so they can hook up a new hose purchased with Operation Roundup grants from Vinita-based Northeast Oklahoma Electric Cooperative. Two Operation Roundup grants totaling nearly $10,000 helped the Quapaw Volunteer Fire Department buy 1,500 feet of hose for the new truck.
Quapaw VFD Fire Chief Will Langley explained that the department couldn’t afford the hoses on the station’s annual budget, a modest $25,000. “We are incredibly grateful to Northeast Oklahoma Electric Cooperative members for their continued investment in our department and the Quapaw community,” he said. “Their support has made a tangible difference in our ability to protect lives and property.”
Check out previous editions of Bright Spots:
