The Mille Lacs Community Trust Board meets quarterly to distribute funds raised through Operation Round Up. This March, the board awarded $17,000 in grants to local non-profit organizations including: Aitkin Friends of the Arts/Aitkin All Class Reunion V, Aitkin County 4-H (Shooting Sports and Wildlife), Aitkin Grad Blast, Crisis Line and Referral Service, Crosby-Ironton Grad Blast, Food Shelves (Aitkin Area, Aitkin Community, Cuyuna, Garrison Area, McGregor Area, Family Pathways @ Onamia, Palisade Area, St. James), Isle After Prom, Jaques Art Center, McGregor Area Scholarship Foundation, Northern Waters Land Trust. The total amount of grants awarded since the start of Operation Round Up has reached an astounding $1,390,879!

Operation Round Up is a voluntary program at Mille Lacs Energy Cooperative where our generous members round-up their electric bill payment to the nearest dollar. All the funds raised go into the trust fund which is donated back to the community. Board members include: Lisa Anderson, Kim Waffensmith, Darlene Stigen, Bethany Sellers, Charles Schotzko, Becky Joerger, Bob Nelson, and Doyle Jelsing.

To receive a Trust application, contact Deb Chute at 218-927-8221 or 1-800-450-2191. The Trust Board meets the second Wednesday in March, June, September and December. Applications are accepted at any time. Those submitted a week before the quarterly meetings will go to the board. Anything submitted after will be seen at the next board meeting.

MLEC is a not-for-profit, electric distribution cooperative owned by the members we serve.  We provide service to over 13,000 members in parts of Aitkin, Crow Wing, and Mille Lacs counties. Our headquarters is located at 36559 US Highway 169, one mile east of Aitkin, MN.