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 awards of $9,200 in grants to the recipients listed below.

Alpena County

Alpena Area Senior Citizen’s Council, Inc. ($1,000) to provide financial support for the “Liquid Nutrition Program” for the frail, home-bound and the most nutritionally at risk seniors that participate in the Alpena County Meals-on-Wheels program.

Alpena County Parks Commission ($2,000) for materials and construction costs needed to build a viewing tower at the Manning Hill Roadside Park in Green Township, Alpena County. The tower will sit upon a hill top in the park that will allow visitors to enjoy a panoramic view of miles of countryside.

District Health Department #4 ($1,200) for program costs for “Girls on the Run (GOTR) Sunrise Side”. This ten week, twenty-session after school program incorporates physical activity as a way to develop self-respect and encourage a healthy lifestyle for 250 girls aged 8 to 14. The program focuses on girls from 3rd through 8th grade living in Alpena, Cheboygan, Montmorency and Presque Isle counties.

Alpena County (Continued)

Thunder Bay Theater ($2,000) to assist with the Thunder Bay Theater Spring Educational Tour geared to introduce school age children in northeast Michigan to high quality, professional arts-rich experiences.

Cheboygan County

Straits Area Audubon Society ($1,000) for the “Snakes Alive!” hands-on nature program featuring live animals presented to 4th through 8th grade students in Cheboygan and Emmet Counties. The program helps students to respect Michigan reptiles and wildlife.

Presque Isle County

Presque Isle County Historical Museum ($2,000) to purchase and install a handicap accessible ramp at the museum’s historic Bradley House in Rogers City to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.