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Co-ops present lead gift to Medcenter One renovation project
Basin Electric and several other community cooperatives presented the lead gift to the Amber's Dream project.
Basin Electric Power Cooperative - September 22, 2009
Fifteen-year-old Amber DesRoches spent more time in the hospital than any kid should. She was fighting to live, to beat the leukemia that was taking so much from her.
Through her fight, she had a wish for other children who would have to spend time in the children’s wing of Medcenter One: Make it a magical, happy place, where fears are replaced with warmth and the magic of Peter Pan.
Sadly, DesRoches lost her battle with leukemia in December 2007. Today, her wish is coming true as Medcenter One announces the launch of “Amber’s Dream,” a major gift campaign to renovate the children’s wing at the hospital.
Jumpstarting the campaign is the lead gift of $80,000 provided by Basin Electric, Capital Electric, KEM Electric, Mor-Gran-Sou Electric, Roughrider Electric and Slope Electric. This donation will bring DesRoches’ vision of the children’s playroom to life.
These community cooperatives became acquainted with DesRoches’ story during North Dakota’s first-ever St. Baldrick’s Day celebration in March of 2007. St. Baldrick's is the world's largest volunteer-driven fundraising event for childhood cancer research. Thousands of volunteers shave their heads in solidarity of children with cancer, while requesting donations of support from friends and family. Since 2007, Basin Electric, together with other cooperatives and organizations throughout North Dakota and Wyoming, has raised more than $200,000 for the foundation and shaved nearly 300 heads.
“We met Amber’s mother, Pam DesRoches, when we were planning our 2007 St. Baldrick’s Day event,” says Mike Eggl, Basin Electric senior vice president of External Relations and Communications. “We learned of Amber’s courage and her dream for Medcenter One. Each year, we honor Amber at our St. Baldrick’s event. Today, we honor her with this donation. No child should have to face illness. Sadly, too many do. By transforming the children’s wing into a magical place, their journey to wellness may not be so scary.”
Through the cooperatives’ donation, the playroom will be transformed. “Sponsoring the playroom naturally interested us. It’s the one area in the hospital where kids can be kids, and maybe for a minute, shift the focus from being ill,” Eggl says.
Clayton Hoffman, co manager of Roughrider Electric, Slope Electric and Mor-Gran-Sou Electric, says this donation fits nicely with his cooperatives’ criteria for donations. “One of the goals when our cooperative makes a donation is to improve the quality of life for our members,” he says. “Amber’s Dream does more than meet that goal by providing our children with a magical and healing environment during a very stressful time in their life.”
Joining Hoffman as co-manager of Roughrider, Slope and Mor-Gran-Sou is Don Franklund. Franklund says the cooperatives’ participation in “Amber’s Dream” complements their work with St. Baldrick’s. “We are working to help cure childhood cancer through our St. Baldrick’s efforts, and now with Medcenter One’s “Amber’s Dream project, we’re also providing a local contribution that will not only benefit young cancer patients, but all injured and sick kids. I’m pleased that we’re able to help make an uncomfortable time a little nicer.”
Lars Nygren, general manager of Capital Electric Cooperative, says the same philosophy under which cooperatives were formed applies to this project. “We can make a real difference in the community by combining our resources with other local cooperatives to support a great cause like Amber’s Dream,” Nygren says.
Ken Berreth, interim general manager/CEO of KEM Electric, says his board of directors was immediately supportive of “Amber’s Dream.” “Many of our consumers travel to Bismarck for medical care,” Berreth says. “Being able to support the Bismarck medical community in this manner appealed to us. Since children are priceless treasurers and hold our future, I’m pleased that as cooperatives, we’re able to help build this magical play area for children where troubles can be temporarily forgotten”
About Basin Electric Power Cooperative
Basin Electric is a consumer-owned, regional cooperative headquartered in Bismarck, N.D. It generates and transmits electricity to 136 member rural electric systems in nine states: Colorado, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming. These member systems distribute electricity to about 2.8 million consumers.
About Capital Electric
Capital Electric Cooperative, headquartered in Bismarck, N.D., has been serving electricity to its consumer-owners in Burleigh and southern Sheridan counties since 1948. Capital Electric serves more than 12,600 member-owners, providing electrical service to more than 14,900 meters, and owns more than 2,640 miles of distribution and transmission line to serve consumers.
About KEM Electric
KEM Electric Cooperative, Inc., headquartered in Linton, N.D., is a distribution cooperative serving rural electric consumers in all of Emmons County, the south half of Kidder County, the western two-thirds of Logan County and McIntosh County. KEM Electric serves 3,503 meters with 121 miles of transmission lines, 2,396 miles of distribution lines and 469 miles of underground lines.
About Mor-Gran-Sou Electric
Mor-Gran-Sou, headquartered in Flasher, N.D., with service centers in Mandan and Fort Yates, N.D., is a distribution electric cooperative serving 7,418 meters in Morton, Grant and Sioux counties. With 236 miles of transmission line and 3,559 miles of distribution lines, Mor-Gran-Sou serves one of the most sparsely populated areas in the country, with an average of just 1.95 consumers per mile of power line.
About Roughrider Electric
Roughrider Electric Cooperative is a distribution electric utility serving customers in Oliver, Mercer, Dunn, Stark, Golden Valley and Billings counties. With headquarters in Hazen and Dickinson, N.D., Roughrider Electric serves more than 6,400 members, providing electric service to over 10,000 meters and owns 5,124 miles of distribution and transmission lines across the counties.
About Slope Electric
Slope Electric Cooperative is a member-owned electric cooperative headquartered in New England, N.D., with an outpost center in Bowman. Slope Electric has provided electricity to members in Adams, Bowman, Hettinger and Slope counties since 1945. Slope Electric currently serves approximately 1,876 members by providing electrical service to more than 3,692 meters. The electric plant consists of 19 substations and 3,147 miles of line.
Headquarters
1717 East Interstate Avenue
Bismarck, ND 58503-0564 USA
Phone: 701.223.0441
