PIQUA — Pioneer Electric Cooperative recently donated $2,214.68 to the Pink Ribbon Girls, a local organization that was created by women with breast cancer to support and empower others who are currently in the fight against breast and reproductive cancers.

The group provides healthy meals, housecleaning, transportation to treatment and peer support to individuals with breast and women’s reproductive cancers and their families free of charge.

Guided by its concern for community, one of the cooperative’s seven principles, Pioneer chose the Pink Ribbon Girls as the recipient of the donation because all funds stay within the local communities in which the co-op serves.

Pioneer employees planned and participated in various fundraising events throughout the month of October to raise awareness and donations for the organization. The front window of the Piqua and Urbana buildings displayed a large pink ribbon and the slogan for this campaign, “Powering the Fight.”

Employees and board of trustee members were invited to purchase pink T-shirts to be worn on designated dates throughout the month. Linemen and operations employees also wore pink hard hats throughout the month to help spread awareness.

Additionally, employees planned and participated in a chili cook-off luncheon where employees were encouraged to donate to their favorite chili. Both employees and Pioneer members had the opportunity to add pink ribbons to the honor walls in Urbana and Piqua bearing the name of someone they know who has been directly affected by breast cancer. Donation jars were also available in the front lobby of each facility.

Pioneer Rural Electric Cooperative, a not-for-profit utility based in Piqua, serves more than 16,700 members primarily in Champaign, Miami and Shelby counties, as well as portions of the eight surrounding counties of Mercer, Auglaize, Logan, Union, Madison, Clark, Montgomery and Darke.