AKRON, Ohio — On Saturday, more than 60 FirstEnergy employees and Akron residents took to the ropes for the "Over the Edge" fundraiser—a rappelling event to raise money for the Boy Scouts of America Great Trail Council.
This was the third year in a row the corporation held the event.
"This year’s Over the Edge fundraising event, led by FirstEnergy Senior Vice President of Operations Sam Belcher, raised more than $100,000 to support BSA programs offered to more than 11,000 local Scouts ages 6 through 20 across Summit, Portage, Medina, Mahoning, Trumbull and Wayne counties. The FirstEnergy Foundation matched funds raised by FirstEnergy employees, and this year’s donation to the BSA Great Trail Council was made in honor of the FirstEnergy employees lost to COVID-19," FirstEnergy spokesperson Lauren said in a news release.
Siburkis said the company has been a longtime youth supporter in Northeast Ohio, helping to raise money for different programs benefiting area children.
"In addition to today’s event, the YWCA of Greater Cleveland, in partnership with Girl Scouts of North East Ohio, received a $60,000 grant from the FirstEnergy Foundation to create programs that will help more than 1,000 area girls develop diverse and inclusive leadership skills. The Foundation has also provided many local troops with small grants over the past decade to fund STEM projects and initiatives," Siburkis said. "Additionally, the Girl Scouts of North East Ohio launched a FirstEnergy Girl Power program in 2019, which is designed to give the girls hands-on experiences to spark their interest in STEM careers while learning about electricity. Girls who complete the program receive a FirstEnergy Girl Power patch."
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