Your Energy Matters

When it comes to family fun, the many festivals sponsored by LG&E or KU have got you covered — whether it’s a country ham breakfast, kayak racing, balloon glows or antique car shows.

In the coming weeks, these celebrations will get into full gear so check out the lineup of fun:

Harlan County Shriner’s Horse Show and Fair (Aug. 3-4) — Shriner Fairgrounds in Putney, Ky. will host walking, riding, saddle-bred, pole-bending events and more. Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for children. Begins 7 p.m. each night. Children’s activities available. For information, contact John Chaney, 606-589-0003.

Are you ready for some wild, educational and kid-friendly fun? Then you’re ready to celebrate Earth Month at the Louisville Zoo and the Arboretum state botanical garden in Lexington.

Both venues are hosting “Party for the Planet” activities in April, courtesy of LG&E and KU. Don’t miss the freebies, discounts, exhibits, costume characters and more. There’s something for everyone, from the zoo’s Glacier Run polar-bear exhibit to the new Children’s Garden at the Arboretum. The garden is a wonderland of trails, waterways, interactive exhibits and friendly animals.

April 22 is Earth Day at the Zoo with $2 admission for the public. Check out dozens of “eco-friendly” exhibitors, our Louie the Lightning Bug and LG&E’s Mini-City table display, which uses live current to teach electric safety.

Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer, zoo officials and Laura Douglas, our vice president of Corporate Responsibility and Community Affairs, will plant a ceremonial tree. Thanks to matching Plant for the Planet Grant from LG&E, the zoo has more than 20 new trees this year to beautify and sustain its grounds.

April 28 is Arbor Day at the Arboretum, a free event courtesy of KU. More than 40 exhibitors, Louie the Lightning Bug and our Mini-City display will be there. Be sure to stop by the KU tent for a free tree seedling give-a-way. Admission to the Children’s Garden is free that day, courtesy of our sponsorship.

Lexington Vice Mayor Linda Gorton, Laura Douglas and other officials will plant a tree as well. Thanks to a Plant for the Planet Grant from KU, the Arboretum has planted 77 trees in the past two years.

This marks the third year we’re sponsoring Earth Month at the zoo and the second year for the Arboretum.

You can also check out the Environmental Protection Agency's website for a growing list of earth day activities across Kentucky.

The LG&E and KU Foundation Inc. has donated $50,000 to the American Red Cross to support on-going torndado relief efforts in Kentucky and help storm victims rebuild their lives as fast as possible.

In addition, employees all across our service territory have been individually contributing to the Red Cross, United Way and other organizations working on relief efforts by providing food, water, clothing, blankets and a variety of items to fulfill basic needs.

During the restoration effort directly following the storms, LG&E and KU also released Kentucky-based contract crews to assist neighboring co-ops and utilities in the hardest-hit areas of Kentucky and Southern Indiana.

How You Can Help

The American Red Cross is collecting donations for families displaced by the March 2 tornadoes. To make a contribution, visit www.redcross.org call 1-800 Red Cross (733-2767) or text the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation.

We've been a part of the community for more than a century. Our corporate responsiblity efforts have deep roots, too. Here's a quick glance at how we're giving back to the customers and counties we serve:

LG&E has provided the good folks at Project Warm $100,000 to continue to provide critical weatherization services to our area’s low- and fixed-income elderly and disabled citizens year-round.

You tend to hear about this vital non-profit organization only during the coldest winter months, but the dedicated staff and volunteers at Project Warm perform work and offer education every calendar month that helps some of our community’s most disadvantaged citizens save energy and money.

Take a look at the video below to get a closer look at Project Warm and the important services they provide:



We’re proud to commemorate our 30th year of support with another donation to help enhance the variety of weatherization programs and services provided by Project Warm.

In fact, over the last 20 years, LG&E has donated more than $2 million to support services, resources, weatherization kit materials and fundraisers.

And, if you know of anyone who could qualify for the programs and services provided by Project Warm, or, if you’d like to volunteer your time with the organization, give them a ring at (502) 636-9276.

Until next time, keep using energy wisely.

Each year, LG&E and KU employees donate generously of their time and talents to the communities where they live and work.

This comes in many forms – it could be weekends spent weatherizing homes of the low-income disabled and elderly, leading classroom discussions on economics and job preparation to students, and sprucing up state parks and non-profit organizations, to name a few.

It also involves participating in our company’s annual charitable-giving campaign, called the Power of One.

For the fifth year in a row, our employees have again surpassed the $1 million mark in giving to non-profit organizations across Kentucky that benefit from our company’s charitable-giving campaign. And, our employees’ campaign participation continues to be more than twice the national average.

If you work or know of someone who works at a nonprofit organization, it won’t surprise you to hear that fundraising continues to be a challenge given our sluggish economy. That’s why now, more than ever, local non-profits need you support to continue to provide the critical programs and services on which so many Kentuckians depend.

Check out local news stories here and here to learn more about the positive impact our collective donations will make in 2012. As the state’s largest energy provider, our employees are happy to do their part to help non-profit organizations continue their vital work for generations to come.

From our family to yours, have a safe and happy New Year.

Hundreds of homes across Kentucky will be warmer this winter season thanks to the help of our volunteers. Employees and their family members spent Saturday mornings this autumn to help weatherize the homes of low-income, elderly and disabled customers, so their homes will be ready for the cold weather that's already arrived.

Here's the rundown of our efforts:

Winterblitz – Lexington
On Oct. 15, four KU teams weatherized eight homes in the Lexington area. The 21 volunteers helped by caulking cracks, replace windows and doors and offering winterization information. In total, approximately 100 volunteers from KU and the community weatherized 40 homes. The effort was coordinated with the Community Action Council.

Project Warm Blitz – Louisville
On two Saturdays in November, volunteers from LG&E helped weatherize 80 homes in the Louisville metro area. Forty-six LG&E teams, 149 volunteers in all, participated in the event. In total, 638 volunteers across the city weatherized 275 homes during the 21st annual Project Warm Blitz.

How You Can Help Others
While our weatherization efforts were focused on winterizing homes, Project Warm and the Community Action Council are in need of volunteers year-round. It's a great way to give back to the community, and perfect for students and community groups needing service hours. Just visit Project Warm and Community Action Council for more information.

A Customer Says Thanks...
The best part of volunteering in these winter blitzes is the real connection you make with others. After the effort in Louisville, one of our clients, Mrs. Griffin, contacted Project Warm to express her gratitude to the LG&E team that weatherized her home.

Griffin said she was “amazed and overjoyed that the volunteers went the extra mile to make a difference in her life.” Griffin, who is disabled, said she had not been able to sleep because of noise adjacent to her house, leaving her exhausted each day.

With the help of LG&E volunteers’ weatherizing her windows, and moving her bed to the back of her house, she finally had a good night’s sleep. Griffin said the extra help was “so unexpected and so kind,” that she felt “overwhelmed and blessed.”

Now that's energy that matters.

Our employee base knows that when the strengths of thousands come together for a good cause, their collective actions can affect some real positive change in the community.

It comes as no surprise that when the economy suffers so can charitable giving on the whole, despite the fact that in an economic downturn demand for social services increases.

That’s why news that our 2010 employee-giving campaign set all-time records is so welcome, particularly during the holiday season.

Specifically, our employees have pledged more than $1.1 million to 27 non-profit organizations across Kentucky in 2011. Combine that with our Foundation’s additional support and the grand total checks in at just over $1.6 million.

Similar giving campaigns across the nation average an employee participation rate of between 20 and 30 percent for payroll deduction. This year, our participation rate was nearly 70 percent; a remarkable feat that shows community involvement is serious business for employees at LG&E and KU.

So, whether you live in Mt. Vernon or Madisonville, Bedford or Bardwell, Louisville or Lexington, take care in knowing our employees’ dedication to the communities we serve goes much further than just powering your home or business.

That’s something we can all feel warm about.

Here's to a safe and happy New Year.