There is no better way to kick off summer than with a good old-fashioned picnic. That’s why your co-op chose a picnic-style format for its member appreciation/annual business meeting event. Our friends and neighbors — specifically the member-consumers of Kankakee Valley REMC — were our special guests. 

Approximately 483 registered member-consumers and their families braved the heat to attend the event at the Porter County Expo Center. After enjoying a picnic-style dinner of pork burgers and hot dogs catered by Birky’s Catering, guests enjoyed a frozen treat of Valpo Velvet ice cream. 

Attendees enjoyed musical entertainment by Valparaiso resident Dan Reisen, bingo with prizes including gift cards, balloon art, and glitter tattoos for the kids. A Chevy Bolt, Tesla Model 3 and F150 Lightning were displayed for those interested in electric vehicles. Member-consumers engaged in some fun competition at the first annual singles cornhole tournament.

Another essential part of this event was the business meeting. Typically, this portion of the event is when we would announce the board of directors election results. This year, the only member-consumers petitioning for election were the current sitting directors, Chris Birky for District 1 and Dean Moretton representing District 2. On a voice vote, both individuals were re-elected to three-year terms on the board. 

During a brief co-op update, I discussed the growing electrical demand, the fiber optic project, a new metering system and how the co-op is mitigating supply chain and inventory issues. If you couldn’t stay for the business meeting, please check out the recording on our website at kvremc.com. 

Thank you to everyone who came and spent time with us at this year’s celebration. I know that everyone’s lives are hectic. We appreciate you and want you to know that engaged members like you ensure the continued success of the co-op.