"Electric Cooperatives Connect"

female winner;Jayden

Moore;junior

It was a cold winter night in the middle of January. The news had predicted seven and a half feet of snow to fall in Boulder Creek, Tennessee. The Barlow family prepared for this storm with canned food and water. The family had just forgotten a backup heat source. The temperature started rapidly dropping, and by the first night, the blizzard caused three feet of snow. The children were ecstatic because the schools were closing, but the parents were timid.

While the temperatures were above zero degrees, the parents let their kids play in the snow.

"Mom," Ava shouted. "The snow buried Mateo." Abigail panicked and frantically started

searching for her son.

"Mateo," Abigail screamed. Mateo was screaming for help, but the thick snow muffled his voice. Their father, Liam, bolted outside and began digging through the snow. Finally, Liam found his son. The family rushed him inside in hopes of warming him up. Abigail was a physician, so she performed an exam on him only to find out he had mild hypothermia. The hospitals were off-limits because they were unable to drive through the storm. Abigail ran to put Mateo in front of the vent that was supposed to have been producing their heat, but she only felt cold air. As any mother would do, she started panicking. The only thing that could help her son at this moment was heat.

"Abigail, do you remember the Boulder Creek Electric Cooperative's heat pump program," Liam asked. "Through the company's broadband expansion, I learned the cooperative will replace our heat pump and allow on-bill financing. That would be a great decision because the payment would add to our monthly electricity bill instead of having to pay up-front."

"Are you sure BCEC would come through the snow," Abigail asked. Liam informs her, "They are a not-for-profit, member-owned organization, which means they serve the community of Boulder Creek." Liam then gets Abigail on board with the decision and calls the electric company. Liam picks up the phone and calls the cooperation.

"Hello," somebody answered.

"Hello, my name is Liam. I am sure many people have called in with concerns about their broken heat pump; however, my son was trapped in the snow and is now mildly hypothermic. The only way to keep him from getting worse is by keeping him warm. Can you please help us?" Since the electric co-op is concerned for their community, they inform the family that they will be able to help them. About twenty minutes later, Liam notices a group of men walking towards their house. "Abigail, the men walked through the snow to help Mateo," he exclaimed.

They looked over, and Mateo was still shivering. "Everything is going to be okay, son," Abigail says in a comforting tone. "The men are here to fix our heat; you will be warm soon." Liam ran outside to help them and immediately began thanking them.

"Thank you so much. Is there anything I can do to help?" The workers say no, but Liam decides to help them anyway. He began shoveling all of the snow off the heat pump. While the men were freezing outside, Mateo's sister sat in her room, wondering if her brother would be okay. She drew pictures for him to cheer him up. She brought the drawing to him. The first one she showed him was the sun. She drew this, hoping it would make him feel warm. Abigail looks outside to see them covered in snow as they replace the heat pump. By this time, another foot of snow had fallen. The men's purple hands continued to work until the heat began working.

Abigail rushed Mateo back to the vent, and then he began to feel the heat. His blue face turned back to the pale white color it always was. Ava ran to Mateo, hugging him with all her strength. Liam then invited the workers in to warm up before they left. Abigail took their wet clothes and put them into the dryer. While they sat, Liam asked about the opportunities the Tennessee Electric Cooperatives gives communities.

"We exert extreme efforts while trying to recruit new businesses and jobs. We also give zero-interest loans to new businesses that create more jobs for the community. Another way we help strengthen the communities of Tennessee is by providing leadership development programs for young students. One more awesome thing we do for students is a scholarship program. Every year, students from all over the state have a chance to win a scholarship and a trip to Washington D.C!"

Liam replies, "This electric cooperation is awesome! BCEC gives so many great opportunities to not only Boulder Creek but all of the communities around Tennessee." Then, the sun begins to set. The men get ready to leave, so Abigail retrieves the dry clothes and hands them back to them. They layer back up and get on their way.

"I believe they saved our son," Abigail said with relief. "Alongside all the opportunities they give the community, their elected workers truly care for the people they serve."

male winner;Jaxon

Fite;junior

In the rolling hills of Tennessee, where the echoes of country music mingle with the rustling of leaves, there stands a quaint town called Hillside. Nestled right in the middle of this town is Hillside Electric Cooperative- a beacon of community spirit and energy that sustains the town, and its surroundings.

Marty McFly, a lively teenager with a knack for finding himself in the most adventurous situations, was at the heart of an extraordinary tale that would combine the power of cooperatives with the most unexpected thing-time travel.

One sweltering summer day, while Marty was trying to play his vintage guitar on the porch of his family's townhouse, he heard the most interesting noise emitted from the nearby cooperative. Intrigued, he decided to investigate what was happening.

It was only a short ride on his skateboard from his small house over to the co-op, but the sun was beaming down. As he made it through the doors, sweat was already soaking through his Nirvana tee. As soon as he stepped in, he immediately sparked a conversation with his old preschool teacher, Mrs. Kepner, who recently got promoted to Cooperative Office Manager.

"Oh my! You are sweating buckets!" She exclaimed as she handed him a small plastic cup full of water. "Maybe this will cool you off a little bit."

"Thank you! I appreciate it," Marty said back to her.

"So what brings you here?"

"I was just wanting to see how my favorite teacher is liking her new promotion."

"Well after being a preschool teacher for ten years, I wanted a change. I noticed an opening at Hillside Electric and after being hired I've continued to work my way up the ladder," she explained.

"Would you explain some things about the cooperative? I have always been so interested in this building," Marty asked.

"Of course," she replied. "The cooperative isn't just about providing power, we are a member-owned and regulated organization, owned by the great people of Hillside. Our members aren't just customers, they also have a voice in how we operate."

Marty was listening intently as Mrs. Kepner went into detail about the cooperative's commitment to its members and community as a whole. She explained that the co-op provides education and training for its members, expands broadband, makes reliable energy available, is not-for-profit and it values the needs of the small town it serves more than money.

"And another thing I was going to ask you," Marty started. "What is that noise that I keep hearing?"

Mrs. Kepner looked ecstatic. "I am so glad that you pointed it out! This is our next step in providing education to our small town. It is a way to connect our cooperative directly to the lives of many people in this community. Would you like to check it out?"

"Absolutely!"

"Follow me this way."

Marty followed Mrs. Kepner to the back, into a janitor's closet.

"When you go in, Doc will explain it all," and with that, she left him to enter the closet.

When he walked in he saw a fascinating sight. There were gadgets and gizmos everywhere. In the middle of the room stood a scientist who looked as far away from reality as possible. Right beside him was a shaggy dog eating from a bowl that was connected to an automatic dispenser that looked human-invented.

"A visitor, Einstein! Our first visitor," the scientist said to the dog. " I am Dr. Emmett Brown, Doc for short."

"Oh hi... I'm Marty McFly," Marty began. "So what are all these gadgets you have around here?"

"I used to be an inventor of gadgets that would make day-to-day tasks easier. Now, I have decided to dive headfirst into the most mysterious realm of science- time travel, and you, my boy, are the luckiest person in the world. You get to take the first human trip back in time. My partner-in-crime, Einstein, has taken many trips, but you and I get to be the first humans!" The eccentric doctor exclaimed. "Now hop in my DeLorean and get ready for the trip of your life!"

This was going to be the best thing to happen to him. Marty was going to be popular, every 16-year-old's dream, so he hopped right in beside Doc.

Immediately, powered by the energy of Hillside Electric, Marty and Dr. Brown were taken back in time.

Together, they went back to the early days of Hillside, where kerosene lamps flickered in the darkness, and candles were the only other light source. Marty realized what hardships his ancestors must have faced without guaranteed electricity.

As they went forward in time, Marty saw the birth of the electric cooperative movement in Tennessee, an effort led by rural communities to bring electricity to areas overlooked by large corporations. He saw firsthand how co-ops provided not just power, but hope for a better future.

When they returned to the present day, Marty felt that he had a new responsibility on his hands: spreading the word about the goodness of cooperatives so that no community goes without these essential benefits.

Marty did not waste any time sharing his newfound knowledge with his neighbors and peers. Slowly but surely, the membership of Hillside Electric grew, and as more people recognized how the power of co-ops created positive change, a greater path was paved for a future powered by electric cooperatives.