Mike Couick
Fred Rogers imparted many great lessons to us during his decades-long show Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. One that I still try to live out today originally came from his mother. She told him to always look for the helpers. If you can find people helping others, you can find hope.
I’ve been fortunate to come across many people like that, especially within the world of electric cooperatives. Keith Richardson, a member of Laurens Electric Cooperative, is one such person. As a legendary football coach at Clinton High School, Richardson mentored and developed hundreds of young men during his twenty-four seasons as leader of the Red Devils. But it was in his role as the executive director of the South Carolina Football Coaches Association that I was able to witness his impact on his community.
For the past several years, The Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina has been the title sponsor of the North-South high school football all-star game, now known as the Touchstone Energy Cooperatives Bowl. Each December during bowl week, Richardson organized a holiday shopping spree for 44 deserving children in Horry County. He raised money—often contributing his own—to provide the children with $100 gift cards to Target. Richardson then teamed each child with two football players, one from each team. They were tasked with helping the kids find the items on their wish lists and stay within budget.
Although Richardson has retired from his executive role at SCFCA, the shopping spree continues. Not only does it impact children in Horry County each year, but it also plants the seeds of generosity and altruism among the participating football players. It’s for this and many other reasons that in 2017, Coach Richardson was nominated for a Who Powers You honor, a national contest celebrating local heroes making a difference in their community.
This year, South Carolina’s electric cooperatives are duplicating the Who Powers You contest within our state. We want you to look for the helpers in your community—people like Coach Richardson, who are making a positive impact and benefitting members of your cooperative. Are needs of people in crisis being met thanks to the passions and determination of a local advocate? Are educational opportunities enhanced because of a champion for area students? Do you know of a person that the spotlight has missed but who has remained tirelessly devoted to helping others?
Anyone can nominate a good-doing neighbor, but nominees must either be a cooperative member, live in a residence served by an electric cooperative or be making a positive impact in a community served by the cooperative. Your cooperative will choose a local winner, who will then have a chance at being named the 2022 South Carolina Who Powers You Hero and receive a $2,500 grand prize.
You can nominate a local hero by visiting ecsc.org/WhoPowersYou, where you’ll be asked to share a photo of your nominee and answer three questions about how they are making a difference in their community.
I know there are a lot of helpers bringing the rest of us hope. We look forward to you helping us find them.