Dec. 21, 2010

PORTLAND, Ore. — Portland General Electric employees and retirees are doing their part to make the holidays brighter for those in need. During the company’s annual Employee Giving campaign, PGE employees set a new record this year, raising more than $1.65 million (including PGE’s 50 percent match) for community organizations.

This year’s campaign beat last year’s record of $1.62 million. And with 63 percent of all PGE employees donating to 926 nonprofits, this year’s program almost doubles the employee-giving national average of 35 percent.

“The employee giving campaign is one of our key employee-led events each year and no matter what the state of the economy, PGE employees and retirees continually increase their generosity to those in need,” said Dave Robertson, vice president of public policy, PGE.

Oregon Food Bank topped the list of recipients again this year with donations of almost $87,000, which is enough for OFB to fill 10 semitrailers with 450,000 pounds of food.

Employees also raised more than $73,000 for the Providence Cancer Center to help purchase a piece of cancer research equipment, which helps with accelerated cancer research and treatment development.

The Legacy Oregon Burn Center received more than $50,000 this year to help upgrade the center’s family and patient facilities. Employees raised almost $70,000 for Work for Art Fund, supporting more than 80 local arts and culture organizations and tripling last year’s almost $22,000 in WFA contributions.

Top 2010 local recipients include: Oregon Food Bank, Providence Medical Foundation: Providence Cancer Center, Doernbecher Children’s Hospital Foundation, Work for Art Fund (Regional Arts & Culture Council), Legacy Oregon Burn Center, Oregon Public Broadcasting, SOLV, Oregon Humane Society, Oregon HEAT, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International, United Way (Portland, Columbia and Umatilla & Morrow counties) and Black United Fund of Oregon, Inc.

During the annual Employee Giving Campaign, PGE’s 2,700 employees and more than 1,000 retirees can designate any charitable nonprofit or accredited school to receive their pledges, and PGE matches their contributions by 50 percent.

Since the company match program began in 1998, PGE and its employees and retirees have contributed more than $13.7 million to their communities through the campaign.