The new power of wind . . .
Posted in the Glenrock Independent: Thursday, July 21, 2011 8:00 am
Jesse Bishop Reporter/Photographer
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So many times you will see the organizations and clubs an
d groups who make a difference in a community. You will always hear about the grand feats they have achieved, the people they've helped and the burdens they've eased. What you may not always hear of, however, is the other organizations who help back those groups. The people who often sit back behind the scenes, quietly helping and pushing said clubs and groups along, very rarely grab the spotlight. Wasatch Wind would be one such 'behind-the-scenes' organization, if they didn't help with such a big bang.
Beginning just about a year ago, Wasatch Wind has shown huge amounts of interest in ways to help out in the community, as a way to show their lasting dedication to the people of Glenrock.
"Wasatch Wind was really looking for a way to make a lasting contribution to the community and looking for organizations that were doing something good in the community that might need additional help," Wasatch Wind Director of Marketing and Communications Michelle Stevens said. "A few people in the community had said, 'You should look at the Boys & Girls Club.' So I went and met Jenny (Goodman) and some of the other people that run the club and took a tour. I just thought they provide a really wonderful opportunity for the kids and the community in the Glenrock area. They have wonderful service, and they are also the only free Boys & Girls Club in the state of Wyoming."
From there, the relationship between Wasatch and the Boys & Girls Club has only flourished.
"I went back to our management team and I talked with them," Stevens said. "Basically we decided that Wasatch Wind should partner with the Boys & Girls Club in any way that we can. So we started by just kind of putting a box in the office to collect donations for the club. We donated an XBOX and a PlayStation and games and clothes and toys and a bean bag chair. Then we decided we wanted to take the kids to the (Casper) Ghost's game."
"I think we've made a friend with Wasatch Wind," Glenrock Boys & Girls Club Director Jenny Goodman said. "I think they've shown us support ever since I met Michelle. Basically, anything I've asked they've gone out of their way to help with. They're a big help in the community."
Stevens and Wasatch Wind announced to the Boys & Girls Club July 18 that their degree of help to the community was about to skyrocket.
"More recently, since the project has become more real and we actually have permits in our hands, the board of directors approved of a long-term partnership with the Boys & Girls Club," Stevens said. "This will include $15,000 a year once the turbines go up for the duration of the Power Purchase Agreement, which is 20 years."
"It's nice to have the support," Goodman said. "Michelle has been great."
Considering the Pioneer Wind Parks do indeed go up, the Boys & Girls Club will be receiving more help than ever from their newfound friends. After declaring their noble intentions to the club, Wasatch treated the kids to a trip to a Casper Ghost's baseball game, which included a complimentary barbecue, as well as one club member throwing the first pitch, and another being selected to run the bases in a race against the team mascot.
"It was a rewarding experience, to give those kids something that they will hopefully remember," Stevens said. "They had so much fun and were yelling and talking about it on the bus ride home. Hopefully, they can use the money and just enhance their experiences for the kids. We just had so much fun, the kids are awesome and the staff are amazing people. Those kids were so cute! It was really just awesome to hang out with all of them."
With this one large step towards building more and better relationships with the community of Glenrock, Wasatch shows no sign of ending their support just yet. Stevens will be doing her very best to not only show continued support, but also to be available for questions and concerns from individuals. She can be reached directly at 307-215-0060 or on her mobile at 435-503-1278.
"We still have some work to do in the community," Stevens said. "We've really enjoyed working with the community thus far, and we just hope they continue to support us during the final stages of the development process. As we get near to construction we hope that people will still reach out to us and give us input. We really want to work with the community to make sure that the whole process is in line with what the people want."
