United Way of Beaver County receives a matching grant from Vistra Corp in hopes to meet fundraising goal

CENTER TWP. ― The new owners of the Beaver Valley Nuclear Power Plant are helping a local nonprofit in its final stretch to reach its annual fundraising goal.

United Way of Beaver County officials said their organization received a $25,000 matching grant Monday from Vistra Corp. The new grant will allow all donations made to the United Way's local campaign to be matched dollar-to-dollar until May 31.

"This year has presented financial challenges for our community, impacting contributions to our annual campaign," said Mary Lou Harju, UWBC executive director. "Workplace campaigns, corporate contributions and individual giving have declined, jeopardizing funding for essential programs. We’re determined to support our agencies, and this matching grant from Vistra is crucial.”

In a release to the media, Harju said the donation from Vistra was facilitated to help the local branch of the United Way reach its $1.1 million fundraising goal. As of the end of April, UWBC officials reported they are "close to (the) target," but have not met that milestone.

The Times published a story detailing the sale of the Beaver Valley Power Station to the Texas-based Vistra Corp in March. After purchasing the Beaver County nuclear power plant and two similar facilities in Ohio in the $6 billion deal, Vistra Corp has become the second-largest competitive nuclear fleer in the country.

“We’re grateful to Vistra and other Beaver County companies for their generosity during this campaign year,” Harju said. "Their support strengthens our community. We’re also thankful for the compassion of individual donors. Together, we’re making a difference.”

This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: United Way of Beaver County receives a matching grant from Vistra Corp