Five EVA chapters receive funding
NDEW grants total $15,000 to educate communities
Inland Empire Vehicle Association NDEW event
Five chapters of the Electric Vehicle Association were awarded National Drive Electric Week (NDEW) grants from Electrify America (EA) and Southern California Edison (SCE) to further the understanding of electric vehicles (EVs). Recipients included:
Inland Empire Electric Vehicle Association (IEEVA): $3,000 from EA, $1,500 from SCE
Central Jersey Electric Auto Association (CJEAA): $3,000 from EA
Electric Vehicle Association of Southern California (EVASC) - $1,500 from SCE
Shasta Electric Vehicle Association: $3,000 from EA
Drive Electric RVA: $3,000 from EA
“The grants enabled us to host an outstanding NDEW event,” said Michelle Pierce of IEEVA, noting that part of the money went toward advertising and raffle prizes that encouraged attendance. “It was a super hot day but we had people sticking around to wait for the next prize to be announced.”
“We were also able to purchase supplies, including canopy tents that we’ll use again for future events,” she continued. “Before, we had to borrow them.”
The EA grant money awarded to CJEAA was also used for advertising and supplies. “We were able to offer refreshments and we purchased extra flags,” said Stan Jaracz, president of the chapter. “It was fantastic that the grant money was available because it allowed us to make our marketing efforts more effective to reach more audiences.”
For Drive Electric RVA, the bulk of the grant money went to social media marketing for the chapter’s NDEW event as well as toward securing the Perkinson Center for Arts & Education in Chester, Virginia as a venue.
“We had a lot of positive feedback about using Perkinson,” said Charles Gerena, founder and lead organizer of the chapter. “It has a big lobby, a theater for zoom and in-person panel discussions, a great parking lot to display vehicles, and it’s very accessible from the interstate. It just made all the difference,”
Drive Electric RVA NDEW event