Joshua Cox from Lazbuddie High School and Cesar Reyes from Muleshoe High School get to spend a week in Washington, D.C., this summer on a trip that seasoned tourists would envy, thanks to Bailey County Electric Cooperative. Through the Government-in-Action Youth Tour, an annual program sponsored by electric cooperatives nationwide, Cox and Reyes will join more than 150 fellow Texans for this trip of a lifetime June 17 – 26, 2020. Joshua Cox is a senior at Lazbuddie High School and is the son of Valerie and Brandon Cox. Cesar Reyes is a senior at Muleshoe High School and is the son of Carmen and Yoel Reyes. They won the interview contest sponsored by Bailey County EC and was selected from a pool eight (8) of applicants for this adventure. The program evolved from an idea of then-Sen. Lyndon B. Johnson, an advocate of rural electrification and youth supporter, who inspired cooperatives to send area students to the U.S. capital to see their American heritage and government at work. Since 1965, electric cooperatives in Texas have participated in the nationwide program, coordinated by Texas Electric Cooperatives, the statewide association. More than 3,800 Texas students have gone on the trip since its inception. The events kick off in Austin, where students tour the state Capitol and its visitors center and the Bullock Texas State History Museum. Next, the students fly to Washington to begin a whirlwind tour of the nation’s capital, visiting the Arlington National Cemetery, Mount Vernon, the Smithsonian Institution, memorials and more. Activities include learning about rural electrification, seeing a performance at the Kennedy Center, going on a Potomac River boat cruise with dinner and dancing, and meeting elected officials. The trip lasts a week, but the memories and friendships last a lifetime. For more information about the Texas Youth Tour, visit TexasYouthTour.com, find the Texas Youth Tour Alumni page on Facebook, ask Bailey County EC for a copy of Your Tour magazine, or visit www.bcecoop.com and click on the Community Tab. Information regarding the opportunity to apply for the 2021 Youth Tour will be posted on the BCEC webpage and Facebook beginning in the Fall of 2020.