The Texas Rural Electric Women’s Association raised more than $100,000 this year for co-op causes, despite not being able to hold its annual fundraising events at Texas Electric Cooperatives’ annual meeting, which was held virtually this year amid the COVID-19 pandemic. TEC is the state association that represents and supports the more than 70 electric co-ops across Texas.
TREWA’s mission is to educate co-op consumer-members and the general public about electric cooperative systems and raise awareness of the issues affecting co-ops and the good that they do. The group presents a unified front for member-owned electric cooperatives as they improve the quality of life in rural Texas.
Fundraising activities at the TEC Annual Meeting traditionally include a membership booth, arts and crafts booth, raffles, and a silent auction. Members of electric cooperative boards and their families and co-op employees support TREWA and its objectives through participation in these fundraising activities. This year, with in-person giving impossible, the group counted on the generosity of the co-op family. They came through, giving $100,000.
TREWA’s arts and crafts booth features plenty of fun decorative items.
“We put our good faith into the cooperative family to help us raise this money to continue our good work in these trying times,” said Karen Culpepper, TREWA board president and a Wise Electric Cooperative employee. “You came through with flying colors. We are extremely grateful for this overwhelming response.”
TREWA plans to give the funds to co-op initiatives: $30,000 for scholarships, $10,000 to the Government-in-Action Youth Tour trip to Washington, D.C., and $85,000 for government relations advocacy efforts. The group awarded 20 scholarships in 2020 to high school students who are members of electric cooperatives in Texas.
Members of electric cooperatives, board members and families of board members are welcome to become members of TREWA. Membership costs just $10 per year, and applications can be found online at trewa.org.
