A Tradition of Community Support

Park Region Telephone and associated companies Valley Telephone, Rothsay Telephone, and Otter Tail Telcom, have a strong tradition of supporting community needs throughout our service areas.

We regard partnerships with nonprofit organizations as an important investment in the future of communities we serve and add to the vitality of our company. Over time, we have participated in and assisted with many community projects and festivals, educational programs, youth sports activities, local government, health programs, and nonprofit organizations. To achieve the greatest benefit from available funding, we focus on events or programs that directly impact the communities we serve.

Donation Guidelines

Donations, given in the form of cash or merchandise, are one of our ways of giving back to area communities. The cooperative’s donation policy allows for an annual amount, based on the number of access lines in an exchange, that is designated to be used on a first-come, first-served basis to non-political, non-religious organizations located within Park Region’s service area. Click here for a donation request form.

Community Grant Program

The Foundation for Rural Service awards grants annually through the Community Grant Program to nonprofit organizations, schools, community groups, municipalities, and other organizations doing good work in their communities. These grants provide the opportunity for NTCA members like Park Region to amplify the ways they support their communities and are designed to provide support to a variety of local efforts to build and sustain a high-quality life in rural America. Applications for these grants are accepted each spring and may range from $250 to $5,000. The grants awarded each November support a variety of projects concentrated in four major categories:

Business and Economic Development – Devise a plan to turn your community into a global phenomenon by growing small or existing businesses, developing new ones, and implementing a job creation program that attracts key talent from your community or from skilled individuals interested in relocating to small town America.

Community Development – Develop an outreach program that helps to promote advancing technology skills of your community members, incorporates innovation into learning, raises the visibility of your community’s talent and artistry, and places your town on everyone’s bucket list as the place to visit.

Education – Support advances in education by helping your school’s technology (computers, smart boards, etc.) in the classroom, build resources for curriculum development, strengthen extracurricular activities and programs, and promote distance learning programs.

Telecommunications Applications – Show how you plan to turn your community into a technological powerhouse by promoting the implementation and use of broadband-enabled applications for telehealth, education, government services, safety and security, and efficient energy distribution and use.

As an NTCA member, Park Region encourages organizations in our communities to apply for the Community Grant Program. Applications for the 2025 FRS Grant Program will open on June 13th and are due to our Fergus Falls or Underwood office by August 13th.

For more information on the program, or if you are interested in applying for a grant, view the FRS Community Grant Flyer & Application by clicking here (link coming soon).

Fairs, Parades & Trade Shows

We enjoy participating in many of the area parades throughout the summer and also have a display booth at the West Otter Tail County Fair in July. Our sales team is also available to demonstrate our latest technology at area trade shows throughout the year.

Youth Scholarships

Minnesota Telecom Alliance (MTA) Foundation Scholarship

The Minnesota Telecom Alliance (MTA), of which Park Region is a member, has established the MTA Foundation and will award 6 scholarships to high school seniors graduating in 2025. There are two types of scholarships this year:

  1. One $3,000 Jon Tollefson Technology Scholarship: To be eligible, applicants must be a high school senior with plans to major in either Telecommunications or Information Technology (IT) at a university, college, or technical college and be a Minnesota resident.
  2. General Scholarship ($2,000 each five scholarships will be awarded): To be eligible, applicants must be a high school senior with plans to attend post-secondary education at a university, college, or technical college, be a Minnesota resident, and the applicant’s family must subscribe to at least one service from Park Region. *Note: The Bud Morrow Scholarship will be awarded to the highest scoring applicant in this category and receive an additional $1,000.

The scholarship application can be accessed here: 2025 MTA Scholarship Form Interested applicants should fill out the scholarship form, then combine it with their high school transcript, essay, and class ranking. Applications must be returned to Park Region by February 14, 2025.

 

Foundation for Rural Services (FRS) Scholarship

Foundation for Rural Services (FRS), along with the National Telecommunications Cooperative Association (NTCA) and its members, strongly promotes the continuing education of rural youth. As your local telecommunications service provider, we are happy to offer this national scholarship program to our customers’ high school seniors. To be eligible, the applicant must be a graduating high school senior whose family subscribes to at least one service from Park Region. The application window is now open and will close February 14, 2025. Visit https://www.frs.org/programs/youth-programs/scholarships/ to find a link to the scholarship and deadline information.