Gulfport, Miss. – Mississippi Power donated a used pickup truck to the Pine Burr Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America on Tuesday. The truck will be used at Camp Tiak in Wiggins and to haul equipment across South Mississippi.

“A donation like this is the lifeblood of our operation,” Scout Executive Jerry Moore said. “We’re a 100 percent self-funded non-profit, so without donations, we wouldn’t be able to survive.”

The Pine Burr Area Council had been without a vehicle since its last truck was destroyed by a fire almost six months ago.

“Mississippi Power and the Boy Scouts both place safety as core values in their organizations. And just like Mississippi Power, the Boy Scouts have a tradition of service and integrity,” Mississippi Power Vice President of Customer Services Organization Jeff Franklin said. “They are a tremendous community partner and we hope this donation will help them continue their mission of building the next generation of Mississippi’s leaders.”

Franklin also sits on the Board of Directors of the Pine Burr Area Council.

Mississippi Power typically keeps trucks for 8-10 years in Distribution. Some trucks are given a “second life” at a plant where they’re used to haul equipment.

“In this situation, we identified a truck that fit the needs of the Boy Scouts and began working to make this donation happen,” Jason Smith, Mississippi Power’s fleet services manager, said. “We’re happy to turn the keys over to such a safety-conscious organization.”

The Pine Burr Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America serves 17 counties, all of which are in the Mississippi Power service territory. Those counties are Hancock, Harrison, Jackson, Pearl River, Stone, George, Marion, Lamar, Forrest, Perry, Green, Jefferson Davis, Covington, Jones, Wayne, Smith and Jasper.

Mississippi Power, a subsidiary of Southern Company (NYSE: SO), produces safe, reliable and environmentally responsible energy for more than 186,000 customers in 23 southeast Mississippi counties. Recognized throughout the utility industry for excellence in storm restoration and recovery efforts, is the 2013 winner of the Edison Electric Institute’s Emergency Assistance Award. As a leader in safety, Mississippi Power ranked first in the 2013 Southeastern Electric Exchange (SEE) Safety Performance Reports. Visit our website at mississippipower.com, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+ and YouTube.