Teammates Give Back to Local Organizations Through Donations and Volunteering Efforts
January 6, 2026 – CO, WY, MT, UT — Encore Electric giving back to the communities where they live and work by volunteering their time and donating resources and money is always a priority. From volunteering during Encore Gives! Day to serving breakfast and sorting donations at nonprofits like Brent’s Place and A Precious Child, teammates from all four states have given back to their communities this year. Read on to learn about just a few of the ways teammates have given back to their communities in Colorado, Cheyenne, Montana, and Utah!
Saint Joseph’s Turkey Drive in Cheyenne
The Encore Electric team in Cheyenne donated 414 turkeys, weighing 6,966 pounds, to the Saint Joseph’s Food Bank. By creating posters for a jobsite, asking trade partners for donations, and partnering with Walmart, the team was able to also donate $2,900 in cash to the food bank with the money left over after buying the turkeys.
“You want to support the community you’re in and it always feels good to give,” said Paul Beery, the Encore Electric superintendent who was involved in the giving effort. “The majority of the money donated came from the Encore people after realizing how well they have it. I couldn’t have been happier.”
With the donations from the Encore Electric team and Cheyenne community, St. Joseph’s Food Bank was able to provide 500 families with a Thanksgiving dinner. Encore Electric also donated $2,500 to the cause so families who wouldn’t normally be able to have a Thanksgiving meal were able to celebrate the holiday with a turkey.
KZYR Tons of Turkeys Drive
Another example of Encore Electric giving back and providing families with Thanksgiving dinners was the KZYR Tons of Turkeys Drive that the Encore Electric Colorado Mountains team supports every year.
“Our Encore Electric Tons of Turkeys Drive enjoyed another year of success,” said Austin Richardson, from radio affiliate KYZR in Vail. “The community came together and donated $3,000 of ‘virtual birds’ to the Community Market and Salvation Army. In addition, hundreds of pounds of frozen turkeys were donated by True Local Listeners.”
“It’s a way to give back to the people who can’t afford to have a Thanksgiving Day celebration. Every year it grows and grows and gets more and more popular,” said Encore Electric Director Pete Palmgren.
Encore Gives! Day
More than 250 teammates and their families gave back to their community in Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, and Montana during the eighth annual Encore Gives! Day on Saturday, September 6. Teammates helped 11 different organizations in various volunteering efforts like picking up trash along the Highland Glen Trail in Bozeman, Montana; painting at the Saint James Episcopal Church Foodbank in Utah; and helping with administrative tasks at Tall Tales Ranch in Lakewood, Colorado.
“On this highly used trail, our teams ran into many bikers and hikers. They all thanked us for being out there cleaning up the trail system,” said Bill Frye, director of the Montana business unit. “That proved to me that we are doing something good that makes a difference.”
“It was a blessing to be able to help out our community. Seeing both our employees and the community welcome each other as family and work alongside one another with a common goal, having fun at giving back,” said Kevin Vanlandingham, Encore Electric foreman in Utah.
Learn more about Encore Gives! Day 2025 here.
Coat Drive for the International WeLoveU Foundation
In 2025, the Encore Electric Lakewood office donated 52 winter coats and a mix of hats, mittens, scarves and other winter items to the International WeLoveU Foundation. With the donated items, the foundation held an event for Johnson Elementary students to pick out their winter coat and enjoy sweet treats like hot chocolate.
“Whenever given the opportunity, I have to help – no matter what that looks like,” said Angie Ripple, training and licensing specialist who helped connect Encore Electric to the foundation. “As a company, we really care about the community and helping the people around us. Johnson Elementary serves a community with an extreme concentration of poverty, where over 90% of the students are classified as economically disadvantaged.”
Canned Food Drive for the Food Bank of the Rockies
The Encore Electric Lakewood, Colorado office held a canned food drive to support the Food Bank of the Rockies. This initiative was started by Estimator Raj Katugaha and Business Development Coordinator Rikki Dugas.
“When I think about Encore values, giving is the first thing that comes to mind. When Raj came to me with the idea of a food drive to benefit the Food Bank of the Rockies, I was immediately in. The idea of anyone going hungry, especially around the holidays, is heartbreaking,” Dugas said. “We were able to deliver a carful of donated food that we collected from generous folks at Encore. We were also able to present them with a check for $2,500. It feels good to be a part of a company that is so active in giving back to our community where it is most needed.”
In addition to the initiatives like the Turkey Drive in Cheyenne, Encore Electric held its first mobile blood drive and supported the Climbing for Kids event for the fifth year in a row. The mobile blood drive was started by Critical Projects Manager Kevin Rohr, who has scheduled two additional blood drives to be held at Encore Electric in 2026.
The initiatives stated above are just a few ways Encore Electric teammates have given back to their communities.
