Local Charities Receive Grant Funds from South Alabama Electric Cooperative & CoBank

David Bailey with Megan Kirkland of the American Cancer Society

Local Charities Receive Grant Funds from South Alabama Electric Cooperative & CoBank for a cure for cancer, has received a $7,280 donation from South Alabama Electric Cooperative and CoBank, a cooperative bank serving vital industries throughout rural America.

Pike County United Appeal, a local agency supporting funding for 17 agencies, all of which provide needed resources for the community, has received a $2,000 donation as well.

Based in Troy, Alabama, South Alabama Electric Cooperative provides electricity throughout nine counties. South Alabama Electric Cooperative has been a supporter of the American Cancer Society and Pike County United Appeal for many years.

Mark Hill with Jane Thrash of Pike county United Pile

“The American Cancer Society is an organization very close to our hearts,” said SAEC Manager of Member Services Andy Kimbro. “There aren’t many people who haven’t been affected by cancer in some way. Our team lost Carolyn Walker a few years ago, and it was like losing a family member.” The second organization benefited by this donation is Pike County United Appeal, which Kimbro praises for its commitment to the local charity. In fact, all funds raised by Pike County United Appeal are distributed to communities in the cooperative’s service area. “One of the organizations that they support is the Organized Community Action Program, which often helps our members pay their electric bills if there is a need. A partnership with them makes perfect sense.”

American Cancer Society Community Development Manager Megan Kirkland appreciates the partnership with South Alabama Electric Cooperative. “Their generous donation will be used and appreciated by families in our area affected by cancer, as well as by researchers actively seeking a cure,” she said.

David Bailey and Laterah Baxter of SAEC present  Camille Downing, Executive Director of Pike Regional Advocacy Center with a $250 dollar donation

South Alabama Electric Cooperative’s donation was matched by CoBank through its Sharing Success program. Sharing Success was established in 2012 to celebrate the International Year of the Cooperative. Since the program’s inception, CoBank and its customers have together provided more than $25 million in support to charitable organizations across the nation.

“Sharing Success has had a broader and deeper impact than we ever imagined,” CoBank’s President and Chief Executive Officer Tom Halverson said. “We are delighted with the growing participation in the program by our customers and deeply grateful to them for their assistance in identifying worthy charitable causes deserving of our support. We look forward to partnering with our customers once again this year and to sharing our success in the best cooperative tradition.”