News Releases

Electric Membership Corporations (EMCs) Sponsor Basketball Championships

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 11, 2003

Contact Greg Brooks, 770/266-2307 or Katie Woodall, 770/266-2572

MONROE, Ga., March 11 -- Georgia's EMCs, including Jackson EMC and Walton EMC, will sponsor a Coaches Corner Hospitality Area during the 2004 Georgia High School Association Basketball State Championships to be held March 5 (AAAA/AAAAA) at the Gwinnett Civic Center, Atlanta, GA & March 6 (A/AA/AAA) at the Macon Centreplex, Macon, Georgia.

During the two days of competition, coaches can visit the Hospitality area at each location where they will find a quiet environment to relax, eat snacks, make plans, and receive a free T-shirt.

In addition, the EMCs have partnered with Georgia Public Television (GPTV) to televise a live broadcast of all the GHSA State Basketball Championships. Also, the EMCs and GPTV sponsor Prep Plus Sports, a 30-minute program of high school sports highlights seen Friday nights and Saturdays during the school year.

"Both Jackson EMC and Walton EMC have a strong tradition of reaching out to the community," says Walton EMC President and CEO Ronnie Lee. "We are constantly exploring different ways to support students, athletes and their parents, and the basketball championships give us an opportunity to do that."

In addition to Jackson EMC and Walton EMC, 25 other EMCs will sponsor the
Coaches' Corner hospitality suite including Canoochee EMC in Reidsville, Coastal EMC in Midway, Cobb EMC in Marietta, Coweta-Fayette EMC in Newnan, Diverse Power in LaGrange, Excelsior EMC in Metter, Grady EMC in Cairo, GreyStone Power in Douglasville, Habersham EMC in Clarkesville, Hart EMC in Hartwell, Irwin EMC in Ocilla, Jefferson Energy in Wrens, Lamar EMC in Barnesville, Little Ocmulgee EMC in Alamo, Ocmulgee EMC in Eastman, Oconee EMC in Dudley, Okefenoke REMC in Nahunta, Planters EMC in Millen, Rayle EMC in Washington, Slash Pine EMC in Homerville, Snapping Shoals EMC in Covington, Sumter EMC in Americus , Three Notch EMC in Donalsonville, Upson EMC in Thomaston and Washington EMC in Sandersville.

Sponsorship of the GHSA Basketball State Championship and the Coaches Corner
Hospitality Area is part of an overall effort by the EMCs to support the GHSA. The EMCs offer the Coaches' Corner Hospitality Area during a number of high school sporting events throughout the 2002-2003 school year.

Headquartered in Thomaston, Ga., the GHSA is a voluntary organization composed of 378 public and private high schools with approximately 400,000 students. Its objective is to promote education, encourage participation in athletics and promote sportsmanship and interest in the fine arts.

Jackson EMC and Walton EMC are consumer-owned cooperatives providing electricity and related services to nearly 300,000 meters in portions of 17 northeast Georgia counties.

Collectively, Georgia's 42 customer-owned EMCs provide electricity and related services to 3.7 million people, nearly half of Georgia's population, across 73% of the state's land area. Georgia's 42 electric membership cooperatives now serve more customers than any other state network of EMCs in the nation.

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