From left to right: Winston Howell, Edgecombe-Martin EMC; Charles Guerry, Halifax EMC; Paul Spruill, Tideland EMC; Mark Suggs, Pitt and Greene EMC; and Meghan Woolard. Photo courtesy of Ronald McDonald House Charities.

On June 2, representatives from several eastern North Carolina electric cooperatives presented a $20,000 donation to Greenville’s Ronald McDonald House. The donation was made possible thanks to a matching grant from CoBank which is a national cooperative bank providing financial services to agribusinesses and rural power, water and communications providers in all 50 states.

The Ronald McDonald House of Eastern North Carolina (RMHENC) opened its doors in 1987, providing accomodations for families with children hospitalized at Vidant Medical Center. Since then, the house has had more than 27,000 admissions.

In 2013, RMHENC expanded its footprint with a family room inside the James and Connie Maynard Children’s Hospital at Vidant Medical Center that has now grown to include six family bedrooms within the hospital.

Along with Tideland, the participating co-ops were Edgecombe-Martin County EMC in Tarboro, Cape Hatteras Electric Cooperative in Buxton, Roanoke Electric Cooperative in Ahoskie, Halifax EMC in Enfield, Tri-County EMC in Dudley, Pitt and Greene EMC in Farmville, Albemarle EMC in Hertford, Carteret-Craven EMC in Morehead City, and Jones-Onslow EMC in Jacksonville.