Carteret-Craven Electric Co-op, in partnership with Touchstone Energy® Cooperatives, is pleased to announce that Bob Dobler of Emerald Isle is the Grand Prize Winner of the fifth annual #WhoPowersYou Contest.

In addition to being nationally recognized, Dobler will be awarded $5,000 for his cause. Additional prizes will be awarded for second place, third place and honorable mention.

Dobler was awarded the grand prize for his longtime work supporting the BackPack Friends program that provides backpacks full of food to more than 600 children each week in Carteret, Craven and Onslow counties. Dobler makes cutting boards that he sells at craft fairs and through local vendors, and he donates 100 percent of the proceeds to BackPack Friends.

In the past seven years, Dobler’s cutting boards have raised more than $54,000 and helped fund more than 6,500 backpacks full of food. “I simply wanted to do something to help,” he says.

“We are thrilled that Bob was chosen to receive this honor," said Melissa Glenn, CCEC communications specialist. "His skilled hands and his dedication to BackPack Friends and its mission to ensure that no child goes hungry is remarkable."

Touchstone Energy Cooperatives launched #WhoPowersYou in 2016 to celebrate the power of human connections.

The annual contest invites co-op members across the country to nominate local heroes making a difference in their communities. An independent panel of judges selects the winners based upon the positive impact they make on their community.

Touchstone Energy Cooperatives represents a nationwide alliance of member-owned electric co-ops, including CCE, that collectively deliver power and energy solutions to more than 700 local electric cooperatives across 46 states. Learn more at https://www.touchstoneenergy.com/