Counting down to the Cool Down!

Our annual Cool Down for Warmth event is less than a week away! The two-day event will be on Tuesday, January 31st, and Wednesday, February 1st, in Market Square. Join us in our effort to help local families who are struggling to afford basic utility services this winter.

The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) recently released the results of its annual Cold Weather Survey. Although the results showed improvements from the past two years, there were still more than 22,000 Pennsylvania households that entered the winter season without heat-related utility service or using unsafe heating sources. Luckily, you can help by supporting our Cool Down for Warmth event!

A house will be constructed using ice blocks in Market Square and willing participants will sit inside to raise funds. The goal of the event is to build awareness for the many families who will go without heat during the harsh winter months, while attempting to raise money for utility assistance grants. All donations collected will receive a dollar-for-dollar match from our partnering utility companies and 100% of the funds raised will go directly to help these individuals in need.

There are many ways you can get involved:

Sit in the ice house: Willing participants will stay in the house for a designated 30-minute time-slot as they work toward their minimum fundraising goal of $1,000 (individual) or $2,500 (team). Once they meet their goal, they will be able to vacate the house and “feel the warmth.” There’s still time to sign up!

Donate to an existing team: While we welcome you to sit in the ice house and start your own fundraising page, we are appreciative of any donation from those who are unable to participate in the event, and wish to make a contribution to an existing team or individual.

Join us during lunch in Market Square: We are hosting a Bowls for Warmth Lunch in the Square Soup Tasting! On January 31st and February 1st, from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm, restaurants will participate in a soup challenge, serving cups of soup to the lunchtime crowd. For $10, attendees get to sample four soups from participating vendors and vote on their favorite!

Meet us after work: On Tuesday, January 31st from 5 pm to 7 pm, join us in Market Square for a Happy Hour Cool Down Bar Crawl. Make a $10 donation at the Dollar Energy Fund donation kiosk in Market Square and receive a wristband. This wristband will give you exclusive access to drink specials, signature drinks and discounted menu items from bars and restaurants in Market Square during happy hour!

Register to win a Pittsburgh Penguins Golden Ticket: On Tuesday, January 31st from 11 am to 12 pm, former Penguins player Tyler Kennedy will unveil our own Penguins Golden Ticket! Stop down to see the ticket frozen in ice and learn how to register to win! To learn more about the Penguins Golden Ticket giveaway, click here.

To view a complete event schedule, visit www.dollarenergy.org/cooldownforwarmth2017/schedule, and check back for more event information!

We would like to thank all of our 2017 Cool Down for Warmth event sponsors: