Every year our generous employees give back to the community by donating to the Dakota Cares campaign.

The committee plans several employee events and activities throughout the year to help raise funds for local organizations, such as the Greater Twin Cities United Way, Community Health Charities of Minnesota and the Fallen Linemen Organization.

Year after year, employees have raised more than $30,000 by participating in activities, such as:

• pork chop feed
• fajita feed
• silent auction
• sporting clays fun shoot
• employee payroll deductions

Every summer, we host our Member Appreciation Event at the Minnesota Zoo. The event includes free admission and parking, and draws more than 6,000 Dakota Electric members and families.

Guests enjoy all of the zoo’s exhibits, live music and family fun. We ask attendees to consider donating to the local food shelves by bringing a non-perishable food item or cash donation. Since 1998, members have donated more than 18 tons of food and more than $13,000 to local food shelves. Thank you for your generosity!

The event is held on the last Thursday in July, and tickets to the event are included with your bill sent in June/July. Watch for more information in the June and July issues of Circuits.

Each year, Dakota Electric recognizes an outstanding firefighter from one of our local fire departments by awarding them the Dakota Spirit of Excellence award. The award highlights a first responder who demonstrates leadership, dedication to serving others, teamwork, integrity and other quality character attributes. Along with the award, Dakota Electric donates $5,000 to the department to use for necessary equipment or gear.

“Dakota Electric is happy to provide this award to honor those who serve their communities in such an important and sacrificial way,” President and CEO Greg Miller said.

Previous winners along with videos:

2021 – Greg Stommes, Lakeville Fire Department
2020 – Tom Latuff, Miesville Fire Department
2019 – Pete Lundell, Rosemount Fire Department
2018 – Jake Toledo, Randolph Hampton Fire District
2017 – Jeff Allbee, Farmington Fire Department

Each spring, Dakota Electric hosts a fun, clean-up event at a local Dakota County park. This volunteer effort is part of a larger, statewide event called Minnesota Touchstone Energy’s GreenTouch Day.

The event is typically held the first Saturday in May. All ages, organizations and scout groups looking for a service project are welcome. After a morning of work, enjoy a free lunch and the opportunity to stay and explore the park you just volunteered in.

Registration is now open. Go to the sign-up page. Password: greentouch

Every year, Dakota Electric brings an environmental science element to the curriculum of an area school by sponsoring the Tree Trust Learning with Trees program. 

The Learning with Trees program creates outdoor learning areas on the school property. Each school forms a Green Team of teachers, staff and parents to do a landscape plan, and students gain hands-on experience with the natural world when they plant trees together and watch them grow.

The Learning with Trees program is designed to set up schools with comprehensive, sustainable outdoor classrooms that transform school grounds into living laboratories for experiential learning.

The plan becomes a reality during an all-school event where students dig holes, plant trees, mulch and water the new plantings and celebrate their school’s commitment to the environment.

We seek to do more than merely deliver electricity to our members. We aim to make our operations more environmentally responsible and help our communities create sustainable, environmentally-friendly futures.

Dakota Electric hosts, sponsors and participates in several events promoting environmental responsibility including:

• Arbor Day celebrations
• GreenTouch
• Adopt-A-Highway

In addition, the cooperative donates more than 3,000 tree seedlings annually to local schools and community events.