Cool Down for Warmth and Warmathon raise more than $366,000 for 1,015 families in need

Dollar Energy Fund raised approximately $366,000, through the combined effort of its Cool Down for Warmth and Warmathon fundraisers on Jan. 31 and Feb. 1, all with the help of local business leaders, sponsors, utility partners and many generous community individuals. The amount raised will provide assistance for approximately 1,015 Pittsburgh families and individuals who will struggle to restore or maintain safe utility service this winter.

Over the course of the two-day Cool Down for Warmth event, many community and business leaders sat in Dollar Energy Fund’s giant ice house in Market Square to raise funds and awareness regarding the need of hundreds of local families.

Individuals and teams, including Marcellus Shale Coalition, Google, Dollar Energy Fund’s Board of Directors and Staff, Columbia Gas, Reed Smith, Audrey Russo with the Pittsburgh Technology Council and more, exceeded their fundraising goals!

Morgan O’Brien, CEO of Peoples Natural Gas, raised over $17,000, while Marcellus Shale Coalition and Range Resources surpassed their $10,000 goal for a total of over $13,000. Others showed their support by visiting the house and participating in our Bowls for Warmth and Happy Hour events.

During construction of the ice house and throughout the two-day event, hundreds of downtown Pittsburgh employees passed through Market Square to see the house, take a tour and contribute to the event. Attendees also enjoyed the Dunkin’ Donuts and Citizens Bank’s Selfie Wall of Ice, where they could receive free digital photos from Clark’s Studio, as well as free coffee coupons from Dunkin’ Donuts for those who donated more than $5 during the event.

Our Cool Down for Warmth event wouldn’t have been possible without our generous sponsors, including UPMC, Peoples, Citizens Bank, Columbia Gas, Duquesne Light, FirstEnergy, Dunkin’ Donuts, Mastro Gourmet Quality Ice, First National Bank, Burns White, ProForma, Jackson Lewis, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Pittsburgh Penguins, Range Resources, Deep Well Services, Poros, Labatt Blue, Point Park University and Dr. Pepper Snapple Group.

In addition, many bars and restaurants donated their time and resources to participate in the Bowls for Warmth and Happy Hour events, including Bluebird Kitchen, Diamond Market Bar & Grill, Eddie Merlot’s, Franktuary, Las Velas, NOLA On The Square, Market Street Grocery, McCormick & Schmick’s, Moe’s Southwest Grill, Pirata, Pizzaiolo Primo, Poros, Primanti Bros., Revel + Roost, Sienna On The Square, Studio A.M. and The Yard.

All of these businesses allowed this event the opportunity to grow this year. They all share Dollar Energy Fund’s passion for assisting the limited-income community and we are proud to partner with them.

Many of the business and community leaders who sat in the ice house, also showed their support on NewsRadio KDKA 1020 during our Warmathon. The Warmathon, a live, radio-based fundraising effort broadcasted from KDKA’s Greentree studios, took place simultaneously with our Cool Down for Warmth event in Market Square.

Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald and Bishop David Zubik were among the many individuals that took the time to go on air and talk about why they support Dollar Energy Fund. With this year’s contributions, approximately 8,260 local, limited-income families have benefited from a total of $2.78 million that has been raised since the first Warmathon in 2009.

Dollar Energy Fund’s partnering utilities, which include Columbia Gas, Peoples Natural Gas, Duquesne Light and WestPenn Power, a FirstEnergy Company, provided a dollar-for-dollar match for all individual and corporate donations received through the Warmathon.

More than 100 volunteers from Dollar Energy Fund, Citizens Bank, Duquesne Light, Peoples Natural Gas and Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania were on hand to answer phones and accept donation pledges. In addition, several corporate sponsors contributed to the event’s success.

The Citizens Bank Foundation, a longtime supporter of the Warmathon, donated $50,000 in funding to match individual donations received during the two-day event. Over the past nine years, the foundation’s combined Warmathon support of $400,000 has helped more than 2,220 families in Southwestern Pennsylvania.

We would also like to extend a special thank you to KDKA NewsRadio 1020, KDKA-TV and Pittsburgh’s CW for their continued support.

Though both events are over, donations are still being collected! Those who wish to help Pittsburgh families in need may continue to donate online at www.dollarenergy.org/donate.

On behalf of all the families we will continue to assist this year, thank you to everyone who supported our events! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for more updates on future fundraisers.