A nonprofit foundation that assists families facing pediatric cancer got a heartfelt charitable boost this month from employees at Community Electric Cooperative (CEC) and Prince George Electric Cooperative (PGEC). Sixteen volunteers (eight from each co-op) spent a Thursday morning conducting a “Ready Bag Packing Party” to support families whose children are afflicted with cancer.
This is the second Packing Party that CEC and PGEC volunteers have held jointly in the past eight months to assist the Roc Solid Foundation, a Chesapeake-based organization established in 2009 to build hope for children and families fighting pediatric cancer. To date, the Foundation has partnered with 117 of the nation’s nearly 250 children’s hospitals.
During the packing party, the cooperatives’ teams placed Ready Bag items such as Kindle Fire tablets, Coffee Tumblers, card games, and pill crushers into about 50 bags that can help families meet tangible needs during unexpected hospital stays. Despite the seriousness of the cause, spirits were high during the packing party as the volunteers embraced the opportunity to help those in need. This charitable work exemplifies another of the core values – concern for community – that is a bedrock of electric cooperative operations throughout the nation.
“It’s powerful to see so many passionate individuals – where you can really see their care and passion – come together to provide this need for these families,” said Crystal Johnson-Smith, PGEC’s Vice President of Human Resources.
“It’s an eerie feeling to prepare these bags knowing they will be handed to someone in their darkest moments,” said Evan Wagensomer, Field Engineer at Community Electric Cooperative.
The CEC/PGEC alliance is a months-long endeavor that features a variety of “competitive” activities between their respective teams to help the Roc Solid Foundation sustain families under duress. Approximately 16,000 children are diagnosed with cancer in the United States annually.
“These are the moments you remember for a lifetime - moments that stop you and not only allow you to count your blessings but to pay forward blessings to others,” said Jessica Parr, Manager of Communications at Community Electric Cooperative.
Members of the general public can follow the progress of the cooperatives’ Roc Solid assistance at our Roc Solid Partnership page created specifically for this project.
Community Electric Cooperative, headquartered in Windsor, is a not-for-profit member-owned energy provider that serves nearly 12,000 homes, farms and businesses in the counties of Isle of Wight, Southampton, Surry, Sussex and the City of Suffolk. For more information, go to our website.
Prince George Electric Cooperative, headquartered in Waverly, is a not-for-profit member-owned energy provider that serves more than 12,000 member-owners in six counties: Dinwiddie, Isle of Wight, Prince George, Southampton, Surry and Sussex. For more information go to the PGEC website.