Sierra Pacific Power Company
Contact: Bob Sagan/Karl Walquist
Phone: 775.834.4834/775.834.3891

For Immediate Release

Sierra Pacific Power Company has donated a four-wheel-drive pickup to Truckee Meadows Community College (TMCC). It was among seven vehicles donated Aug. 25 to nonprofit organizations in northern Nevada and California. The estimated total value of the vehicles is $50,800.

TMCC plans to use the pickup to run errands for the school's automotive technician program.

Other vehicles, all of them four-wheel-drive trucks, were donated to the Fernley Town Parks Department, the El Dorado County Sheriff's Search and Rescue Unit at South Lake Tahoe, the Winnemucca Police Department, the Portola Railroad Museum, the Carson City School District and the Mineral County Consolidated Agencies of Human Services in Hawthorne.

While no longer suitable for day-to-day use by the utility, the vehicles have been well maintained and are capable of many more miles of light-duty use, according to Jeff Ceccarelli, vice president of Distribution Services for Sierra Pacific.

"Nonprofits usually operate on tight budgets and are always in need of assistance so they can continue providing vital community services," Ceccarelli said."Donating these used vehicles is just one way we can help."

Since 1983, Sierra Pacific has donated over 160 used utility vehicles to volunteer fire departments, community, youth and senior citizen organizations, hospitals and educational groups. Donations are administered by the company's Community Relations Department.

Donations vary according to the needs of the requesting organization and what types of vehicles are next on the fleet retirement list. Organizations requesting vehicles are placed on a list and matched to the type of vehicle requested when it becomes available.