Aug 9, 2024
TransCanada employees empower their communities
![TransCanada volunteers Giving back comes naturally to (from left) Ed Gunawan, Raj Nellore, Mitch Gegoire, Ken Langer, and Radu Dorbin from TransCanada’s Bolton, Ont. offices.](/globalassets/stories/2017/03-17-empower/transcanada-stories-empower-1920x1080-2.jpg)
Giving back comes naturally to (from left) Ed Gunawan, Raj Nellore, Mitch Gegoire, Ken Langer, and Radu Dorbin from TransCanada’s Bolton, Ont. offices.
Participation often deeply personal
Bob Reed, an avid cyclist, has participated in the BP MS 150 since 2005. The two-day bicycle rally takes place from Houston to Austin, Texas, and is largest ride of its kind in North America with 13,000 cyclists riding in support the National Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Society.
“My wife has MS so this is a very personal cause for me,” said Reed, who works with the Field Network and Telecom Services team in Sandwich, Illinois, and drives into Houston to participate.
“TransCanada has been very generous in the support of our team, matching what our team fundraises up to $10,000 each year. It means a lot to us as the TransCanada match can effectively double the impact we can make.”
On top of joining the TransCanada team in Texas, Reed also participates in the local Bike MS: Tour de Farms. As a dedicated participant, fundraiser, volunteer, and steering committee member, Reed aims to take full advantage of TransCanada’s giving and volunteering program, Empower, to bolster the positive effect he has on his community.
“We are not just employees of a company, we are also parents, friends, volunteers – people who care for our communities,” said Kristine Delkus, Executive Vice-President of Stakeholder Relations and General Counsel. “All across North America, our people help their community thrive by supporting causes from youth outreach to animal shelters, health services to habitat protection and so much more.”
Making giving matter
2016 was a transformational year for TransCanada. Even though we’ve had some big changes, employees and contractors remained dedicated to the local causes they care about. How do we know? Participation in Empower reached 42 per cent in Canada – the highest yet – and 19 per cent in the U.S. We’re on our way to hitting our goal of 50 per cent participation and showing our communities that our company has heart.
“We are not just employees of a company, we are also parents, friends, volunteers.” – Kristine Delkus, Executive Vice-President, TransCanada
Thanks to generous donations and helpful hands, TransCanada personnel had a record year for giving and volunteering too. In 2016, they raised more than $2.8 million for local causes they care about across North America. Dollars weren’t the only thing they gave – more than 11,000 volunteer hours were logged.
“It’s incredible to see what our employees have accomplished in the communities where we work and live,” said Chuck Moran, SVP, Public Affairs and Communications. “Coming to TransCanada as part of the Columbia Pipeline Group acquisition, I am extremely proud to see how the generous nature of our two companies align.”