CUMMING — Cumming-based Sawnee EMC recently awarded more than $30,500 to area charities and teachers through its Operation Round Up program.

The program is a collection of money members donate when they pay their electric bill by opting to round it up to the next dollar.

The funding goes into the Sawnee Foundation and is given back into the communities the EMC serves. The average donation a member makes annually is $6.

The local charitable organizations that received funding were:

* American Legion Auxiliary Unit 307

* The ALS Association, Georgia chapter

* Forsyth County Family Haven Inc.

* CASA of Forsyth County Inc.

* Special Equestrians of Georgia

* Reading Education Association of Dawson County Inc.

Vick Sexton, a teacher at Whitlow Elementary School, also received a grant through Sawnee’s Bright Ideas program.

She and other teachers who have received this grant were required to submit an application to the Sawnee EMC board for consideration.

To qualify for a grant, the charity must be located in Sawnee EMC’s service area and/or provide a service to the community.

Sawnee EMC is an electric distribution cooperative headquartered in Cumming that serves about 161,500 accounts in seven counties throughout greater north Georgia.

A public or private school teacher is eligible to apply for funding as long as the school he or she teaches at is also within the Sawnee EMC service area.