Consumers Energy, CMS Energy, Their Employees, and the Consumers Energy Foundation Contributed $2 Million to Michigan Nonprofits in 2004 JACKSON, Mich., Jan. 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Consumers Energy and its parent company, CMS Energy, their employees, and the utility's philanthropic arm, the Consumers Energy Foundation, contributed $2 million to nonprofit community organizations across Michigan in 2004. The United Way was the largest single recipient with $1.4 million contributed to 61 local United Way agencies. Grants totaling $675,000 were awarded to more than 500 projects. Those projects involved education, health care, social welfare, culture and the arts, community and civic activities, and the environment. The Consumers Energy Foundation's Volunteer Investment Program (VIP) awarded grants totaling $70,425 to 250 organizations on behalf of 350 employees and retirees. The VIP grants recognize outstanding volunteerism. Top Foundation grants in 2004 included: * $20,000 to Artspace Projects for the Armory Park Arts Project, a major urban redevelopment effort in Jackson. * $20,000 to the Ella Sharp Museum in Jackson for construction and renovations to museum facilities. * $15,000 to the YMCA of Greater Grand Rapids for construction of a new David D. Hunting YMCA in downtown Grand Rapids. * $15,000 to Central Michigan University to support the College of Science and Technology and the establishment of a new computer network laboratory on CMU's Mount Pleasant campus. * $10,000 to the Michigan Department of Education's Project Great Start for the production of READY (Read, Educate and Develop Youth) kits to promote reading. * $10,000 to the Catholic Charities of Shiawassee and Genesee Counties to support major capital improvements at the organization's main office in Genesee County and the North End Soup Kitchen in Flint. * $10,000 to the Grand Rapids Art Museum to support a capital campaign to expand museum facilities in downtown Grand Rapids. * $10,000 to the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy to support the development of a comprehensive plan for perpetual stewardship of the undeveloped parcels of property near Arcadia, on the Lake Michigan shore. The Consumers Energy Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Consumers Energy. It provides funding to areas including education, the environment, Michigan growth and enhancement, culture and the arts, social services, and emerging issues. Consumers Energy, the principal subsidiary of CMS Energy, provides natural gas and electricity to more than six million of the state's nearly 10 million residents in all 68 Lower Peninsula counties. For more information about Consumers Energy, visit our Website at http://www.consumersenergy.com/ DATASOURCE: Consumers Energy CONTACT: Media Contacts: Jeff Holyfield, +1-517-788-2394, or Dan Bishop, +1-517-788-2395, both of Consumers Energy Web site: http://www.consumersenergy.com/ Company News On-Call: http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/203850.html

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