One testament to AEP’s commitment to the growth of communities we serve is the more than $2.5 million contributed in 2010 by our operating companies to more than 160 state and local organizations that help create jobs and improve the quality of life in those communities. These economic development contributions represented a $1 million increase from 2009, and a strong investment in the future of communities we serve.
A $250,000 matching grant from the AEP Foundation pushed the Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences of West Virginia past its $5 million fundraising goal. The matching gift along with an earlier $250,000 AEP Foundation pledge will help students attend the Center and enjoy its arts and sciences programming free of charge. The Center hosts performing arts, visual arts and the sciences under one roof, and is home to the Avampato Discovery Museum and the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra.
Libraries play a vital role in many communities, offering resources for learning, for reaching out to the world via computers and the Internet, and providing meeting space for local groups and organizations. In the AEP Texas service area, the AEP Foundation awarded $100,000 to the Alpine Public Library to help build a facility more than twice the size of the old library to enhance services to children, teens and the elderly, improve computer access and create a community meeting space for the Big Bend area. In the Southwestern Electric Power Co. (SWEPCO) service area, the AEP Foundation provided $33,000 to the Mount Pleasant (Texas) Public Library to additional computers, books and materials for the Spanish-speaking community, wellness materials, and outreach programs for all members of the community.
In southwestern Michigan, a $150,000 AEP Foundation pledge helped the Berrien County Youth Fair move forward with an Expo Arena to serve the needs of the fair and create community development opportunities for the region. The facility covers 6.1 acres under one roof and provides year-round, climate-controlled space featuring a 4,000-seat main arena for equestrian events, shows, mid-sized conventions, concerts and other family fare.
