Two linemen with Surry-Yadkin Electric Membership Corporation have been honored as recipients of the President’s Volunteer Service Award.
Tommy Brock and Eric Sawyers traveled in 2019 to Bolivia with 12 other linemen from North Carolina electric cooperatives as part of the Brighter World Initiative. The volunteers earned the award for their achievement and dedication in building infrastructure that brought first-time electricity to a rural village in Bolivia.
“The award, which came with a certificate and a letter from the White House, recognizes the important role of volunteers in America’s strength and national identity. It honors individuals whose service positively impacts communities and inspires others around them to take action, too,” the electric corporation said in announcing the awards.
The President’s Volunteer Service Award, which began in 2003, has continued under each administration, honoring volunteers for using their time and talents to solve some of the toughest challenges facing the nation’s communities.
Led by the Corporation for National and Community Service and managed in partnership with Points of Light, this program recognizes the “most exceptional volunteers” in the United States.
Ricky Bowman, vice president of operations for the membership corporation, and Jeff Nixon, senior apparatus technician and Brock and Sawyers’ direct supervisor, surprised the linemen with the awards during a safety meeting held socially distanced in the parking lot Thursday, Aug. 6.
“Surry-Yadkin EMC is proud to present this national recognition to these outstanding volunteers for their commitment to service, and for their achievement in bringing the benefits of electricity to a community that will forever be positively impacted. Their efforts are a true demonstration of the cooperative purpose, and they represent the power of what can happen when we all work together for the common good,” Bowman said.
Brighter World Initiative volunteers are receiving the Bronze Volunteer Service Award for dedicating more than 100 hours of volunteer service to strengthen the nation and its communities.
Surry-Yadkin Electric Membership Corporation, founded in 1940, is a Touchstone Energy cooperative serving 27,000 members in five counties — Surry, Yadkin, Stokes, Wilkes and Forsyth counties.
Source: https://www.mtairynews.com
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