Pee Dee Electric proudly awarded the Rankin Museum of American Heritage the CoBank/Pee Dee Electric “Sharing Success” matching grant.

The Rankin Museum of American Heritage recently received two checks totaling $20,000: $10,000 from Pee Dee Electric and $10,000 from CoBank, a national cooperative bank that partners with industries across rural America.

The funds will be used to renovate the former Kemp-Sugg Memorial Library section the museum acquired in 2020. The acquisition will allow the organization to provide the Ellerbe community with a multi-purpose facility, emphasizing a dedicated space for children.

“Right now, we’re extremely grateful because Pee Dee Electric has stepped up and helped us get this $20,000, which is huge, to help us get the ball rolling and moving toward that renovation project.”

“We haven’t had a facelift or any other kind of renovations since we opened,” said President Brett Webb, adding that those upgrades can be costly. “Right now, we’re extremely grateful because Pee Dee Electric has stepped up and helped us get this $20,000, which is huge, to help us get the ball rolling and moving toward that renovation project.”

CoBank’s Sharing Success program is a matching grant program designed to support individual communities nationwide. “We are proud to participate in the Sharing Success grant program, which allows Pee Dee Electric to give back to the communities we serve,” said Pee Dee Electric CEO Donnie Spivey. “The Rankin Museum of American Heritage is an important organization to the community in Richmond County.”

The Rankin Museum of American Heritage was founded in Richmond County in 1984. According to the museum website, it is named in honor of the late Dr. Pressley R. Rankin Jr. and was founded based on his collections over his lifetime. Dr. Rankin served on the board and participated in daily operations before passing away in 2010. The museum features exhibits of natural and local history, as well as Native American culture.