Buckeye REC book bags were a big hit at the co-op’s Annual Meeting this year.

Members’ children, 12 years old and younger, attending the meeting received nylon book bags emblazoned with the co-op and Touchstone Energy™ brand logos. Packed inside each bag were school supplies – tablets, packages of ruled notebook paper, pencils, crayons, rulers, glue sticks – and toys.

The book bags were the brain child of Chief Financial Officer Tonda Meadows and her Accounting Department staff.

“Our Annual Meeting is a few weeks before the beginning of the new school year. We knew parents were doing back-to-school shopping and thought the book bag and supplies would be a welcome children’s gift,” said Meadows.

Contents of the Buckeye REC book bags included school supplies and small toys. (photo by Steve Oden)

At past Annual Meetings, drawings were held for children’s gifts.

“The problem was matching the ages of the kids with gifts, girls versus boys, that kind of thing,” added Meadows. “Even though we tried to have gifts for every child at the meeting, sometimes the value of the gifts varied.”

Smaller children often wondered why they couldn’t have a particular gift they wanted, instead of the one they actually won. Kids being kids, on more than one occasion tears were shed.

Fully stocked book bags fit the bill for useful gifts which every child could use, even if they weren’t quite ready for school. And, while supplies lasted, kids could choose between black-with-red trim or black-with-blue trim versions.

Budget for the book bags came from a cost-share with the Ohio Touchstone Energy™ program. TOTAL tree service, the co-op’s right-of-way contractor, donated $500 that was used to purchase school supplies. Toys included Buckeye REC-Touchstone Energy™ yo-yos, balls, and Frisbees.