Special Events
Peoples Gas supports so many events in the communities we serve — we can't list them all. Here are just a few examples.
- Friends of the Parks L.A.T.E. Ride
- Readers are Leaders
- Commitment to Community Day
- The Peoples Gas Jaycees
- Sponsoring Chicago Sinfonietta Concerts
- Team H.E.A.T. (Home Energy Assistance Together)
Friends of the Parks L.A.T.E. Ride
Peoples Gas is proud to sponsor the annual Friends of the Parks L.A.T.E. Ride in the early morning hours of July, when up to 10,000 bicyclists ride through Chicago neighborhoods and along the lakefront. Kicking off at midnight, the L.A.T.E. Ride takes participants on a 25-mile trek through the streets of Chicago before finishing at Grant Park, where the riders enjoy breakfast while watching the sun rise over Lake Michigan. Registration fees benefit Friends of the Park, a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving, protecting and improving Chicago's parks and forest preserves.
Readers are Leaders
Peoples Gas is proud to sponsor the WTTW Kids Readers are Leaders Summer Tour, a special program to promote childhood literacy. Readers are Leaders brings free educational and musical performances by WTTW personality Miss Lori, of Miss Lori's CAMPUS, to area locations. The events inspire children ages 3 to 8 to sing along and participate in reading activities. Visit Readers are Leaders for event times, dates, and locations.
Commitment to Community Day
More than 60 Peoples Gas employees and several local contractors volunteered their time on April 24, 2010 to repair an Uptown community center that provides shelter and other vital services to homeless Chicagoans. The much-needed repairs to the Cornerstone Community Outreach Center, 428 N. Clifton Ave., were the focus of the company's Commitment to Community Day, an annual event where Peoples Gas helps organizations in need. The work included bathroom and kitchen upgrades, electrical and plumbing repairs, painting, construction of a gazebo and other general repairs. Companies providing assistance were: C.J. Erickson Plumbing; Meade Electric; First Choice Landscaping; and Trice Construction.
The Peoples Gas Jaycees
The Chicago Jaycees is a not-for-profit group of young, professional-minded people. They are committed to helping their community through volunteering and serving as leaders. Peoples Gas has supported the Jaycees for nearly 50 years. Members of the group organize, develop and expand community activities. They learn to become leaders and motivate others to do the same.
"Jaycees are important to our organization because we help motivate people to volunteer their time to assist those in need," says Linda Danielson, president of the Peoples Gas Jaycees and associate collections analyst for Peoples Gas. "Volunteerism is not only a great way to give back but it also brings our employees together."
The Jaycees have participated in a number of community volunteer projects with Habitat for Humanity, Ronald McDonald House and Deborah's Place, to name a few.
Sponsoring Chicago Sinfonietta Concerts
For several years, Peoples Gas has served as a proud sponsor of the Chicago Sinfonietta.
Maestro Paul Freeman founded the Chicago Sinfonietta in 1987 to create opportunities for minority classical musicians, composers and soloists. Twenty-three seasons later, the Chicago Sinfonietta remains the national model and true trailblazer for promoting diversity and inclusiveness in orchestral music through the presentation of high-quality concerts and related programs.
The Chicago Sinfonietta seeks to remove barriers to participation in, and appreciation of, classical music through educational and outreach programs that expose children and their families to classical music. They also provide professional development opportunities for young musicians and composers from diverse backgrounds.
Giving us a number of reasons to appreciate all that they do, and the music they make, we are happy to sponsor organizations like this.
Team H.E.A.T. (Home Energy Assistance Together)
Each fall, Peoples Gas employee volunteers weatherize homes of low and fixed income customers to provide energy saving resources and tips that help them reduce and better manage their bills. The company targets a different neighborhood throughout the city of Chicago each year before winter's chill seeps through the cracks of residents' homes. Team H.E.A.T. volunteers install weather stripping around doors, caulk air leaks throughout the home and secure plastic sheeting around windows. Homeowners are also provided with energy efficiency and safety packages that help to further educate residents that energy efficiency practices not only lower their utility costs, but also support the environment.