Rappahannock Electric Cooperative (REC) donated $3,000 to the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank during the 4th Annual Mad Jazz & Wine Festival held Sept. 6 at Prince Michel Vineyard and Winery in Culpeper.
At the event, REC Public Relations Specialist Tracy Woods and REC Director - Member Services and Community Relations Jeff Henry presented the check to Blue Ridge Area Food Bank CEO Kari Jorgensen Diener. REC’s donation highlights its efforts to give back to the communities and people in its service area. This donation brings the total that REC has donated to area food banks up to $5,000 in 2025.
“We were excited to join the Mad Jazz & Wine Festival this year as a sponsor and major donor to the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank,” Woods said. “Their efforts to combat food insecurity across Central Virginia is a vital, worthy cause and makes a difference in so many communities.”
The Blue Ridge Area Food Bank is a nonprofit started in 1981 as a “rural experiment in food banking.” Now it helps more than 100,000 people each month and its service area covers about a third of the state.
“As a community food bank, we simply couldn’t do what we do without the generosity of partners like Rappahannock Electric Cooperative. Their donation is a powerful example of what’s possible when local organizations come together. It reflects the best of what it means to be part of a caring, connected community. Thanks to this support, we’re able to help provide fresh, nourishing food to neighbors who need it most. Together, we are solving hunger every day,” said Kari Diener, CEO of the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank.
