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STORY CONTACT: Cindy
King
LOCAL STUDENTS URGED (Cumming, June 25, 2004)—“Many things in life will catch your eye—but only a few will catch your heart—pursue those,” said Mike Schlappi, an Olympic athlete who recently spoke before 1,400 high school students in Washington, D.C. Schlappi, who is a four-time U.S. Olympic medalist in men’s wheelchair basketball, made the remarks during the National Youth Day rally to launch the 2004 Washington Youth Tour held June 10-17. During the week-long, all-expense paid trip sponsored by Sawnee EMC, Becca Gaal and Katie Pniewski from Cumming joined 80 students from across Georgia to visit Atlanta and Washington, D.C. The tour offers high school students representing EMCs across the country the opportunity to learn about the U.S. government and American history and come home with a new knowledge of electric cooperatives. An important aspect of the Youth Tour takes place when students meet (his/her) representative(s) in Congress. “This personal interaction is fundamental to our democracy and is an important part of the experience in Washington,” says Cindy King with Sawnee EMC. “The personal meetings give students the opportunity to discuss issues important to them, their co‑op and life in rural America.” At the June 10 kick off banquet in Atlanta, Lt. Gov. Mark Taylor gave the keynote address and stressed the importance of political involvement and interest at an early age. Moreover, he noted some students are born leaders, some are made leaders and vowed others would return from Washington having become leaders. In Atlanta, students toured the Governor’s Mansion and received autographed photos of Governor Sonny Perdue and his wife Mary. They visited CNN Atlanta and attended a private question and answer session with anchors Daryn Kagan and Elizabeth Cohen. Kagan shared her professional story, admitting she was sometimes discouraged by naysayers during her career. She urged students to follow their dreams, even when others might underestimate their abilities. After arriving in the nation’s capitol, Georgia’s group met more than 1,400 students representing cooperatives across the country. In Washington, they toured the recently dedicated World War II Memorial; Supreme Court; Washington Monument; Lincoln, Jefferson, Korean, Iwo Jima and Vietnam Memorials; Holocaust Museum; National Cathedral; and Smithsonian Institute, to name a few historic sites. During their visit to Arlington Cemetery, the Georgia delegation laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The Washington Youth Tour was inspired by former president Lyndon Johnson who encouraged electric co-ops “to send youngsters to the nation’s capital where they actually see what the flag stands for and represents.” Since 1964, the nation’s electric cooperatives have sponsored approximately 40,000 high school juniors and seniors for the Washington Youth Tour. About Sawnee EMC Sawnee Electric Membership Corporation is a distribution electric cooperative headquartered in Cumming, Georgia. Sawnee serves electricity over 124,000 accounts in greater north Georgia. Sawnee assets exceed $368 million with annual energy sales 2.23 billion and revenue of $201 M. With over 296 dedicated employees making up a team of professionals that meet the needs of its member-owners through a network of over 8,300 miles of distribution facilities in Sawnee’s complex network of distribution facilities. Georgia’s 42 electric cooperatives now serve more customers than any other state network of EMCs in the nation.
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