Rounding up for kids

COEUR d'ALENE — Kootenai Electric Cooperative on Monday donated $2,500 to the Coeur d'Alene Police Department for an elementary school bike safety program.

"We've been working hard to get the bicycle program off the ground and it's continuing to grow," said Sgt. Jared Reneau. 

Last year, police put on one bike safety rodeo for students K-5 in the Coeur d'Alene School District. This year, they plan to do five with the first coming up next Friday at Sorensen Magnet School of the Arts and Humanities.

"We want to give them an understanding of their responsibilities and how to stay safe," Reneau said.

And while they gave out about 10 bike helmets to students last year, police plan to present about 50 this year.

Police will also be giving students bike safety booklets printed by Allegra.

"Our highest priority at the police department is insuring that everybody stays safe and we’re trying to do that in a variety of different ways, this being one of them," Reneau said.

The donation is from KEC's Operation Round Up. Each month, KEC "rounds up" the electric bills of participating consumers to the next highest dollar. For example, a consumer's monthly bill of $52.73 would be automatically rounded up to $53.00, with the additional 27 cents going to the Operation Round Up fund, according to KEC. The average contribution per member is about 50 cents a month, or $6 per year. 

Operation Round Up began at KEC in November 2002 and since has donated more than $1 million to those in need in our region. 

Jay Baker, KEC board chair, said the bike safety program could save lives.

"This is what the board likes to fund," he said.

KEC and Allegra were praised for their contributions.

"These partnerships are really key for us,” said Teri Heinrich, crime prevention specialist.