Calvert Catholic Schools was presented with a check for $50,000 Friday after being announced a winner in the FirstEnergy Soulutions Thanks a Million giveaway.
The contest was an opportunity for Ohio residents and businesses to win cash prizes and secure a lower electric generation price for four or seven years. All eligible Ohio residents and businesses that enrolled in a FirstEnergy Solutions electric generation offer between Aug. 1 and Oct. 31 were automatically entered into the giveaway.
"Choosing FirstEnergy Solutions as the electric supplier for our facilities was a no-brainer," said Hank Elchert, Calvert Catholic Schools superintendent. "And winning this prize money is an amazing opportunity. We could use it to help fund our energy efficient lighting project that is under way, or it could be devoted to our tuition assistance program, which will allow even more children to benefit from a Catholic education."
The windfall first came about when Elchert started looking for ways to save Calvert money in energy costs.
Elchert went to Jim Coe, an energy specialist with Volunteer Energy. Coe shopped around for the best rates for the school and found FirstEnergySolutions had the best rates with what the school and Elchert were seeking.
"I did not know anything about the contest. I was just intersted in saving money," Elchert said.
Coe first talked to Elchert about his children and about their Catholic education.
Volunteer Energy believes in outside calls and building relationships with their customers, Coe said.
"Good things happen to good people. It was just one Catholic helping another," Coe said.
