By VICTORIA PRAY
Moapa Valley Progress
The “Round Up For Education” program is alive and well in Moapa Valley. On Friday evening, during halftime of the Moapa Valley High School football game, a check was presented to Moapa Valley High School staff for $1579.26 to be used in athletic and other programs at the school.
Overton Power District (OPD) General Manager Mendis Cooper and Engineering Supervisor Randall Ozaki presented the check to MVHS Assistant Principal Anthony Polzien and Athletic Director Dallas Larsen.
The “Round Up for Education” program started in 2014, when the OPD asked it’s ratepayers to help out the local schools. Customers could voluntarily sign up to have their power bills rounded up to the nearest dollar. On an average, each person/business that signs up, pays about 50 cents per month to this fund.
The money goes to the community schools. Customers in both valleys of OPD territory can determine whether they want their donations to benefit Moapa Valley schools or Virgin Valley schools.
When asked what the money is used for, Mendis Cooper said, “It gives the schools the opportunity to use it for a lot of different things, to use it for sports, and other scholastic activities.”
The Round Up program allows the community to participate and to give back to the schools in a relatively painless way. And the response from the community has been substantial.
“I know that the success in this school and everything school-related is based on the community and everything that they do for the other students and the school here itself,” said Polzein.
The “Round Up For Education” funds are used to help the local schools with student fees, sports equipment, and any other needs each school may have, Polzein said.
Those wishing to sign up for Round Up For Education can call the OPD Overton office at 702-397-2512.
