The holidays are a time for giving at ATC
Throughout the year, and especially during the holidays, American Transmission Co. employees enjoy giving back to the community.
To help nourish families in need during the holiday season, ATC employees in Cottage Grove, Madison and Pewaukee, Wis., raised more than $1,000 and collected more than 50 pounds of food for Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin and Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin.
Pewaukee employees held a U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots drive to benefit families in Waukesha, Wis. The drive was so successful that Salvation Army of Waukesha had to make two trips to transport all the toys. One reason this year’s drive was such a success is that the legal team decided to do a twist on a Secret Santa holiday gift exchange this year.
Instead of buying a gift for each person on the legal team to keep, a toy gift was bought to donate to Toys for Tots in honor of each team member. The donated toy reflected something about the person to whom it was given. For example, Alejandro B., staff counsel, is from Florida and is a Miami Dolphins fan. His secret Santa bought a big stuffed dolphin toy to donate.
For the 10th straight year, the De Pere, Wis., office provided Christmas gifts to a local family “adopted” through the Salvation Army of Brown County. On the wish list for this year’s family of four with a baby on the way were such items as Princess and My Little Pony dolls and movies, a Hungry Hungry Hippo, movie and bowling passes, as well as such practical items as clothing, diapers, grocery cards, crockpot and a Wisconsin Public Service gift certificate.

The Dane County Humane society received many needed supplies from employees who donated items they found on the “giving tree” in the Madison office.
In Madison, employees chose gift ideas for needed items hung on a “giving tree” to purchase supplies for the Dane County Humane Society. Keeping with the spirit of this fall’s unseasonably warm weather, the tree was decorated in a tropical theme this year.
Our real estate team held its third annual White Elephant Auction. Silly gifts such as a Chewbacca can cooler (think fur with a metal sash) and a howling flying monkey stuffed animal (catapults through the air and howls as it hits the ground) were a couple of the hilarious items up for auction. The group raised about $1,200 for the Alzheimer’s Association of Southeastern Wisconsin.
ATC’s Kingsford, Mich., office purchased gift cards for the Oscar G. Johnson VA Medical Center to help local veterans who are homeless or suffer from severe mental health issues.
With holiday spirit and a little bit of fun, ATC helps make the holidays a little brighter for the community.