SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 19, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) announced today that its employees and retirees have raised more than $6.5 million to support nonprofit organizations and schools through the utility's annual giving initiative, Campaign for the Community. The total was the most ever pledged in the campaign's history and exceeded last year's total by $500,000. Employee and retiree contributions will benefit entities throughout PG&E's service area in Northern and Central California and beyond.
"I'm grateful for how our employees and retirees stepped up in unprecedented fashion this year to support the communities where they live and work," said Tony Earley, chairman, CEO and president of PG&E Corporation. "All of us at PG&E want nothing more than for our communities to be healthy, vibrant places, and I'm proud of how Campaign for the Community helps make that possible."
In addition to the amount pledged through Campaign for the Community, PG&E will provide nearly $2 million in matching grants to schools and qualifying organizations designated by PG&E employees and retirees through this annual giving initiative. Pledges will be distributed throughout 2014 to more than 5,000 schools and nonprofit organizations, including environmental organizations, community centers, food banks, animal shelters, veterans groups and many others, to help keep important programs and services alive in local communities.
Through PG&E's Campaign for the Community, employees can designate donation recipients and contribute amounts of their choosing through payroll deductions or onetime donations. This year, pledges were made by nearly 7,600 employees and more than 350 retirees.
In addition, PG&E's employees raised $200,000 through community events, from funny slipper contests and food sales, to dinners with PG&E officers. Last year, these employee-led fundraising events earned nearly $140,000 for the community.
Since 2000, PG&E employees and retirees have raised more than $55 million through Campaign for the Community, benefitting schools and nonprofit organizations in communities where PG&E employees live and work, primarily in Northern and Central California. These monies are in addition to the $23 million that PG&E donates annually throughout its service area.
Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation (NYSE:PCG), is one of the largest combined natural gas and electric utilities in the United States. Based in San Francisco, with 20,000 employees, the company delivers some of the nation's cleanest energy to 15 million people in Northern and Central California. For more information, visit: http://www.pge.com/about/newsroom/ and www.pgecurrents.com.
SOURCE Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E)