• Posted: December 9, 2019
• Al Rzeczkowski, Casey Electric, Chicagoland Electric Association Children’s Education Foundation, Community Building

For the last 27 years, the Chicagoland electrical industry has joined forces in December to give homeless families a Christmas to remember through the Chicagoland Electric Association Children’s Education Foundation. This year, on the 28^th anniversary of the event, nearly 400 people from seven area homeless shelters were hosted at the IBEW Local 134 Union Hall for food, dancing, face painting, and a visit from Santa.

The original event took nearly two years to plan and was hosted in coordination with Comic Relief and was set up as a nighttime fundraiser.

“The first event started as a fundraiser but didn’t have a children’s party and the second year we did the fundraiser, there was a club in Chicago called All Jokes Aside, and Sinbad suggested a kid’s party before the event,” said Al Rzeczkowski of Casey Electric Sales, who runs the day-of event logistics.

The event has since grown to include nearly 65 volunteers and donations from a number of Powering Chicago members and the Electrical Contractors’ Association of City of Chicago. Those donations come from company toy drives and monetary contributions to cover transportation and food for the guests. IBEW Local 134 donated its Hall and tables and chairs for free.

“IBEW Local 134 has been gracious enough to let us use the hall for nothing and provided us with tables and chairs for free,” Rzeczkowski explained. “That gives us roughly $2,100 that can go toward the homeless shelters. So, whatever we don’t spend for the event we basically look to the shelters to see what their needs are. That can be anything from washcloths and towels to sheets and pillowcases to computers and mattresses. We’ve tried to take care of whatever they need.”

“This event has taken the course it’s supposed to take and that you want it to take,” said the event’s original organizer, Rick Kerman. “You can’t be successful without a community and now to be here at this amazing IBEW Local 134 hall is just wild.”

Along with food, dancing, and a visit from Santa, each guest leaves with a gift that may be the only thing they’ll receive for the holidays. Those gifts make the holidays special for the guests, but it’s also what sometimes resonates most with the volunteers.

“Every year you can take a step back and it’s amazing to see everyone coming together and celebrating, but each year you get one or two kids that you remember,” said Carrie Hixson, who coordinates with the homeless shelters. “A couple years ago there was a kid who got a basketball and he was so excited he was jumping up and down. You just fall in love with that.”