Central Alabama Electric Cooperative hosted its annual meeting and Member Appreciation Day Aug. 14 at its Verbena headquarters beginning at 5:30 p.m.

CAEC communications specialist Tiffany Trueblood said approximately 1,100 people attended Friday’s event, which featured an energy efficient exposition, free health screenings through St. Vincent’s Health System, electrical safety magic show, face painting, a fire safety demonstration and animal and critter show.

Free hot dogs and drinks were available for those in attendance, and the Kempters, a vintage Gospel band performed.

Trueblood said the event is typically held the second Friday of each August on the grounds of the company’s home office in Prattville.

“It was decided for this year’s annual meeting it would be best to move the event due to the construction of our new headquarters in Prattville,” Trueblood said. “With our West Operations Center being centrally located in Chilton County, it was a perfect fit for this year’s event.”

The event was open to all ages.

The CAEC building was the first tenant in the Chilton County Business Park off Interstate 65 Exit 200.

The 45-acre park is designed for light industrial use and is developed through a partnership with the Chilton County Commission, the Chilton County Industrial Development Board and the CAEC.

The 54,249-square foot West Operations Center serves as the operation hub for crews on the west side of the cooperative’s service territory. It incorporates the latest in sustainable design, green building materials and technologies and a variety of energy-efficient features which earned it the Gold LEED certification by the U.S. Green Building Council.

For more information about Central Alabama Electric Cooperative, visit www.caec.coop.