Donations and gifts to United Ways in 6 states top $486,000
Jan 6, 2020
Families and individuals served by 15 United Ways in Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, Iowa, Oregon and Pennsylvania will benefit from the generosity of ALLETE employees.
Employees and retirees across ALLETE, ALLETE Clean Energy, Minnesota Power, BNI Energy and Superior Water, Light and Power pledged $239,297 to United Way during the fall 2019 campaign. In addition to the pledges, the Minnesota Power Foundation contributed $200,000, corporate gifts totaled $22,500 and special events, including the Cyber Technology Services Ice Cream Social and campaign kickoff bingo at ALLETE HQ in Duluth, bring the total company contribution to $486,103.
More than 590 employees and retirees participated in the annual campaign.
Al Hodnik, ALLETE chairman and CEO, said giving to the United Way remains a priority even in the midst of change.
“While a number of new faces have joined ALLETE and familiar ones have left for well-deserved retirement, the support for healthy communities remains,” Hodnik said. “The desire to help others connects us all, and we remain deeply invested in living out our core values and in the communities we serve.”
Both Hodnik and ALLETE President Bethany Owen said they are proud of the company’s long tradition of supporting United Way and thanked employees and retirees—from first-time pledgers to longtime givers—for their donations.
“Often your gifts will go to help people you will never meet, but those gifts will make a very real difference in their lives for the immediate and the long term,” Owen said. “Lives are changed for the better because you care.”
Where the money goes
Contributions support a variety of programs through these United Ways:
- United Way of 1,000 Lakes (Grand Rapids, Minnesota)
- United Way of Becker County (Detroit Lakes, Minnesota)
- Head of the Lakes United Way (Ashland/Bayfield, Greater Duluth, Superior/Douglas County and Lake/Cook counties)
- United Way of Bradford County (Pennsylvania)
- United Way of Carlton County (Minnesota)
- United Way of Crow Wing and Southern Cass Counties (Minnesota)
- Lycoming County United Way (Pennsylvania)
- Greater Twin Cities United Way (Minnesota)
- Morrison County United Way (Little Falls, Minnesota)
- United Way of Northeastern Minnesota (Chisholm, Minnesota)
- Missouri Slope Areawide United Way (Bismarck, North Dakota)
- United Way of Spencer (Iowa)
- United Way of Southwest Minnesota
- United Way of Umatilla/Morrow Counties (Oregon)
- United Way of the Columbia Gorge (Oregon)
