The Mille Lacs Community Trust Board meets quarterly to distribute funds raised through Operation Round Up. This September, the board awarded $22,100 in grants to local non-profit organizations including: Aitkin County Friends of the Arts, Aitkin County Habitat for Humanity, Aitkin County Historical Society, Aitkin FFA Alumni, Aitkin Lions, Aitkin Youth Fastpitch, American Legion Riders Post # 395, Crisis Line and Referral Services, Deerwood Lake Lions, Friends of the Aitkin Public Library, Onamia Fire and Rescue Department, Onamia Vets Club, Ripple River Quilt Guild, Riverwood Foundation, Second Harvest North Central Food Bank, South Aitkin First Responders, Saint Vincent de Paul “the Lunch Bunch”, and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post # 1727.

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 of the funds raised go into the trust fund which is donated back to the community. Board members include: Lisa Anderson, Carol Pundt, Loren Larson, Pat Scollard, Diane Landstad, Linda Weimer, Jack Gilbertson, and Lowell W. Larson.

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.