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Basin Electric set to Brave the Shave

Basin Electric challenges employees and communities to shave their heads to raise money for childhood cancer research.

Basin Electric Power Cooperative - January 21, 2009

Bismarck, N.D. – Last year, Basin Electric issued a challenge to employees: Shave your head and raise money for childhood cancer research. With a goal to get five people to shave their heads, the cooperative’s event instead shaved more than 100 heads and raised more than $94,000 for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation (video).

Building on that success, the cooperative is preparing to “Brave the Shave” again this year. “The bar is high, but we’re prepared to surpass last year’s success,” says Ron Harper, Basin Electric CEO and general manager.

On March 17 at 2 p.m. CT in its Headquarters boardroom, Basin Electric will once again trade a St. Patrick’s Day party for a St. Baldrick’s Day party – complete with head shaving, a live auction for shaving rights to a V.I.P. (to be announced later), and of course, a healthy serving of green punch and cookies.

At the same time, tandem events will be held throughout Basin Electric’s out-of-town facilities. And, this year, the cooperative has extended an invitation to other community cooperatives that may be interesting in participating in the event (video).

“We’re maximizing the grassroots strength of cooperatives and growing this event,” says Mike Eggl, Basin Electric senior vice president of External Relations and Communications, and a “brave the shave” veteran and soon-to-be repeat shavee. “We’ve invited other cooperatives in the state to hold tandem events at their offices – from telecoms to credit unions. Cooperatives were formed by the people, for the people. What better way to display our unity and strength by sharing resources and hearts – or heads – to fight childhood cancer.” (video)

In addition to head-shaving, participants have the option to cut 10 inches of their hair and provide a double donation, raise money for St. Baldrick’s and donate their hair to Locks of Love, a public non-profit organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children under age 18 suffering from long-term medical hair loss from any diagnosis.

St. Baldrick's is the world's largest volunteer-driven fundraising event for childhood cancer research. Thousands of volunteers shave their heads in solidarity of children with cancer, while requesting donations of support from friends and family.

Since the first event in 2000, St. Baldrick’s volunteers have raised more than $50 million for life-saving research and events have been hosted in 48 states, in addition to Australia, Bermuda, Brazil, Canada, Hong Kong, India, Iran, Iraq, Mexico, Northern Ireland, and the United Kingdom.

For more information about St. Baldrick’s visit http://www.stbaldricks.org.

To learn more about Basin Electric’s St. Baldrick’s event visit http://www.stbaldricks.org/events/event_info.php?EventKey=2009-770#.

About Basin Electric Power Cooperative

Basin Electric is a consumer-owned, regional cooperative headquartered in Bismarck. It generates and transmits electricity to 125 member rural electric systems in nine states: Colorado, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming. These member systems distribute electricity to about 2.6 million consumers.

Basin Electric’s generating resources include: two coal-based power plants in North Dakota – the Antelope Valley Station, Beulah, and the Leland Olds Station, Stanton; a coal-based power plant in Wyoming – the Laramie River Station, Wheatland; three peaking stations – the Spirit Mound Station, Vermillion, S.D.; the Groton Generation Station, Groton, S.D.; and the Wisdom Unit 2 Station, Spencer, Iowa; nine combustion-turbine generators (natural gas) in the Gillette, Wyo., area; four wind turbines – two near Minot, N.D., and two near Chamberlain, S.D.; the energy produced from four baseload waste-heat stations owned and operated by Ormat Technologies Inc. along the Northern Border Pipeline, and the output of three wind farms owned and operated by FPL Energy, Juno Beach, Fla. The wind farms are located near Wilton and Edgeley/Kulm, N.D.; the other is near Highmore, S.D. For more information, go to www.basinelectric.com.

Web link

Stories and photos from Basin Electric’s 2008 St. Baldrick’s event can be viewed at: http://www.basinelectric.com/Community/Employees_In_Action/St._Baldricks_at_Basin/index.html

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