Business & Tech

2013 Blue Ridge Fest Raises $183k

Funds raised by annual Blue Ridge Electric Cooperative benefit Upstate charities.

Blue Ridge Electric Cooperative has announced that the 16th annual Blue Ridge Fest, which took place on May 10, 2013, raised a total of $183,000 to benefit local non-profit organizations in Greenville, Anderson, Oconee and Pickens counties. With the 2013 event producing a record-breaking amount, the festival also attracted more than 6,000 attendees, the largest number to date.

This year, each non-profit will receive a total of $13,000 in funding from the Blue Ridge Fest. The charities include Harvest Hope Food Bank, Hidden Treasure Christian School, Sabrina House Children’s Charity, Anderson Free Clinic, Foothills Alliance, Arc of the Tribble Center, Dot’s Kitchen, Rosa Clark Medical Clinic, SHARE, Feed a Hungry Child, Mary’s House, Samaritan Health Clinic, and United Christian Ministries. Since 1998, Blue Ridge Fest has donated nearly $1.6 million to numerous agencies in the Upstate area that provide individuals with basic necessities such as food, shelter, clothing, and health care. Representatives from both Blue Ridge Security Systems and Blue Ridge Electric will also host check presentations for each non-profit organization receiving funds.

“Blue Ridge Fest was founded on the belief that giving back to our community should be a top priority,” said Charles Dalton, president and CEO. “We’re very excited that this year’s event is enabling us to support our local areas in a larger capacity than ever.”

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The annual festival boasts the “Upstate’s largest classic-car cruise-in”, along with a Beach Night show and dance that features nationally known entertainers. Blue Ridge Fest is organized and executed by 250 Blue Ridge Electric and Blue Ridge Security employee volunteers, enabling the festival to maximize its proceeds to benefit local charities. The 2014 Blue Ridge Fest has been scheduled for Friday, May 16 at the cooperative’s headquarters in Pickens .

For more information about Blue Ridge Fest, visit www.blueridge.coop/blueridgefest or call (800) 240-3400.

Blue Ridge Electric Cooperative, Inc., established in 1940, is a customer-owned, not-for-profit, electric-distribution utility that serves nearly 64,000 members in the Upstate of South Carolina.

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The cooperative supplies electric service in Anderson, Greenville, Oconee, Pickens, and Spartanburg counties. Blue Ridge started operations with 1,680 members inherited from the South Carolina Rural Electrification Authority, which was formed in 1936 with the specific task of electrifying the state’s rural areas.


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