Enbridge Energy shows support for Boone County

By Kathryn Menue

Editor

BOONE COUNTY – On Monday, Nov. 9, Enbridge Energy Company Inc. traveled to the Rock Valley College (RVC) Woodward Technology Center (WTC) at 9 a.m. to “dedicate a new scholarship at Rock Valley Community College.”

“The new scholarship, known as the Enbridge Energy Company Pipeline Industry Awareness Scholarship, will award five $1,000 scholarships to students in Boone County,” Enbridge Energy stated in their press release. “Enbridge has established similar scholarships at several other two-year schools throughout Illinois. This scholarship at Rock Valley Community College will now mark an Enbridge scholarship established at every community college along its Illinois system.”

Rep. Joe Sosnowski (Ill.-69), Belvidere Mayor Mike Chamberlain, and Enbridge Energy created the scholarship alliance to support students from Belvidere and Boone County who want to enter into an engineering or trade program at Rock Valley College.

“The reason we call it the ‘Pipeline Industry Awareness Scholarship,’ is because for too long, our industry was ‘out-of-sight and out-of-mind’ in our communities,” John Gauderman, Enbridge Director for Chicago Region Operations said. “By building great partnerships like the ones we have with Rock Valley College, we’re hoping to change that.”

At the scholarship presentation, Gauderman stated that the newly founded scholarship was a “great opportunity for Enbridge to show how we operate in the communities. We are very happy to have five $1,000 scholarships at Rock Valley.”

Rock Valley College was very appreciative of their support as well.

“It couldn’t have come at a better time,” RVC President Mike Mastroianni said. He explained that this scholarship will be a great start for the engineering program RVC plans to establish in the upcoming years in the WTC. The new engineering program will allow students to receive a four-year engineering degree from RVC at a more affordable rate than at state universities.

“This is wonderful news for the community and it exemplifies how the Belvidere/Boone County area is positively impacted by Enbridge Energy,” Neeley Erickson, legislative aide to Rep. Sosnowski, said.

Food truck

In addition to Enbridge Energy demonstrating their educational support for Boone County students, Enbridge also demonstrated their generosity through donating a 2006 Chevy Silverado to the Belvidere/Boone County Food Pantry so the food pantry could continue to pick up and transport food donations to the citizens in need in northern Illinois.

“This is a great opportunity to have one more vehicle to pick and deliver food to the clients we serve,” Linda Clark, executive director of the Belvidere Boone County Food Pantry, said.

Gauderman said that they have donated vehicles from the Enbridge fleet to other organizations, such as local emergency responder groups. When Enbridge Energy toured the food pantry in June after donating $2,000 to the pantry to purchase food for impoverished families, Enbridge discovered the pantry relies on its own vehicles to transport food. To further the Belvidere/Boone County Food Pantry’s outreach, Enbridge decided to donate a vehicle to help support the organization.

“We found a truck we thought would fit the food pantry the best,” Gauderman said. “It just goes to show the value in spending time with the people you partner with and learning about what they do. Eventually, you’ll come up with new ways you can make a difference in the community together that you otherwise wouldn’t have thought of.”

About Enbridge

“Enbridge transports over two million barrels per day (over 84 million gallons) of essential North American petroleum so it can be refined into products we rely on from asphalt for roads to jet fuel and gasoline for our vehicles as well as feedstock for fertilizer, plastics, cosmetics, poly-fibers and other petro-chemical products,” Enbridge’s press release stated.

“Enbridge strives to be a good neighbor through its Safe Community Program, Community Investments and the active involvement of employees in those organizations serving our communities, well-being and environment.”

For more information about Enbridge, please visit: www.enbridge.com.