Contest winner makes canine cameo in new ad

The winner of our Safe Digging contest, Charlie, got to enjoy the grand unveiling of his winning ad at Energy Park on Aug. 11. The adorable Goldendoodle, along with his owners, Breanne and Jeff Beyer of Kaukauna, helped celebrate 8-11 day -- a day to raise awareness about calling 811, Diggers Hotline.

Charlie sporting a We Energies hard hat.

We asked customers to submit photos of their dogs digging in the yard and received dozens of entries. Charlie received the most votes from the public. Now, he gets to be ambassador for our Safe Digging campaign and spread an important message: Doggone it! Call 811 before you dig.

Charlie and the Beyers of Kaukauna.

Whether you’re planting a tree or installing a mailbox, call 811 at least three days before starting your project to help ensure that you avoid underground utility lines when you dig. You can put yourself in serious danger by striking an underground electric or natural gas line.

You can see Charlie’s winning ad on display at Energy Park throughout the duration of the Wisconsin State Fair. For his effort, Charlie also earned a basket of goodies, including dog treats and a special 811 frisbee.

Safe digging tips

Lamb purchased at Governor’s Blue Ribbon Auction supports youth in agriculture

We have been presenting games and demonstrations on energy generation, distribution and safety at Energy Park, our exhibition center at the Wisconsin State Fair since the start of the fair on Aug. 3. We also have hosted cooking and gardening lessons to help visitors enjoy Wisconsin’s agricultural bounty, as well as birds of prey shows with the Schlitz Audubon Nature Center.

But we’re not just exhibitors at the fair – we’re also guests, appreciating the effort that goes into the achievements on display. We Energies and its sister company Wisconsin Public Service work directly with many Wisconsin farmers to supply agricultural energy services, including the electricity needed for dairy and livestock farms’ lighting and cooling systems.

“We work with customers for on-farm wiring safety, rewiring, energy efficiency and any needs they may have as they look to build another barn, or change some of their electrical system and upgrade it,” said Jason Kollwelter, manager – agriculture services and customer-owned generation, in a recent interview with Lake Effect’s Mitch Teich.

We also show our support for the agricultural community in other ways. On Aug. 9, we participated in the 49th annual Governor’s Blue Ribbon Auction at the fair. The auction celebrates the strength of Wisconsin’s livestock industry and the accomplishments of junior exhibitors planning for a future in agriculture. The We Energies Foundation entered the winning bid for a champion natural colored lamb exhibited by Brady Meudt of Walworth County. We then donated the lamb back to the Governor’s Blue Ribbon Livestock Auction Scholarship Fund.

This year’s auction raised a total of $267,000 for the individual exhibitors, the Wisconsin 4-H Foundation and youth scholarship awards. We’re glad to have contributed, and we hope to see many more of our customers before the fair ends on Sunday night.

Exhibitor Brady Meudt (front) with his champion lamb. In back (left to right): Scott Lauber, director – We Energies Foundation board; Bob Juneau, senior agriculture account manager, WPS; Beth Straka, vice president – We Energies Foundation; Brad Brusveen, senior agriculture account manager, We Energies; Corey Kuchta, supervisor – agriculture services and customer-owned generation, WPS; and Jason Kollwelter, manager – agriculture services and customer-owned generation, We Energies.