Presque Isle Electric & Gas Co-op members continue to give generously to assist area community organizations and individuals through the voluntary round up of their electric and natural gas billings. Member contributions to the Communities First Fund enable awards for grants and scholarships in their local communities within the PIE&G service area.

At a recent meeting, the PIE&G Communities First Fund Board of Directors finalized review of applications and made awards of $14,214 in grants to the recipients below.

ALPENA COUNTY

South Shore Hubbard Lake Fire Department ($3,000) to assist with lighting replacement and conversion to LED lighting for the community center and fire department.

CHEBOYGAN COUNTY

Cheboygan Area Public Library ($923) to assist with the purchase of a Walker Arts Display System, which allows for 50-70 works of art to be displayed at a time. The display system will better serve the needs of the groups who use the gallery area to display their art work.

Cheboygan County Junior Golf Academy Foundation, Inc. ($2,500) to help cover the cost for the 2018 Junior Golf Academy Training Sessions. The foundation benefits children between the ages of eight to seventeen who live in Cheboygan County by providing educational, training, competition and mentoring program through the game of golf.

MONTMORENCY COUNTY

Hillman Community Schools ($1,900) to purchase new books and magazines to continue updating the library’s selection to keep kids interested in using library resources.

PRESQUE ISLE COUNTY

Grand Lakes Sportsmen’s Club ($2,000) to assist the Fletcher-Gilcrest Park Boat Launch Improvements, by helping with costs of materials needed in the parking area improvements and stone for under concrete planks. By improving the launch site, the Grand Lake Sportsman Club and the Presque Isle County Road Commission believe it will allow more boating enthusiasts to use Grand Lake.

Senior Citizens Housing of Onaway dba Lynn Street Manor Apartments ($1,251) to purchase two entry way chairs and one end table to help provide a comfortable, inviting, and safe atmosphere for tenants to gather.

Posen Youth Football Program ($2,640) to purchase thirty-three helmets to provide players in 5th through 8th grades the equipment they need to practice and compete in organized football. This will be Posen’s first year in the five team youth football league with Hillman, Onaway, Atlanta, and Rogers City.

About Presque Isle Electric & Gas Co-op (PIE&G):

PIE&G provides electric and natural gas service to about 30,850 member-owners across northeast Michigan and its headquarters is in Onaway. When the first poles for electric lines were set in 1937, the founding cooperative served about 82 members. Today, PIE&G is one of the largest employers in Presque Isle County, with 76 employees servicing about 33,500 electric meters and nearly 13,500 natural gas meters. Since 1997, the PIE&G Communities First Fund has provided over $1.4 million in grants to local nonprofits. For more information, please visit www.pieg.com.