Butte, Mont. – Feb. 13, 2012 – NorthWestern Energy announced recently that its employees have selected the Montana, Nebraska and South Dakota chapters of the National Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Society as the company’s Corporate Volunteer Partner for 2012.
 
Through this partnership, the MS chapters will receive $25,000 to help them underwrite their Walk MS and Bike MS fundraising events within NorthWestern Energy’s service territory, as well as being a focus for local volunteer activity. The purpose of the National MS Society Chapters is to provide assistance, information and inspiration to individuals affected by multiple sclerosis; to host fundraising events; and to fund cutting-edge research into treatments and a cure.
 
“We were very pleased with both the number and quality of the applications we received for this annual grant,” said Bob Rowe, NorthWestern Energy President and CEO. “It was a difficult decision for our charitable contributions committee to make. Working with the National MS Society Chapters allows us to support an important nonprofit organization with a presence in our three states while providing opportunities for local events in which our employees may volunteer.”
Since 2007, NorthWestern Energy has donated approximately $3 million through its Charitable Giving Program to qualified nonprofit organizations operating within the utility’s three-state service territory. NorthWestern works with charitable nonprofit organizations to provide fundraising and volunteer opportunities for NorthWestern’s almost 1,400 employees throughout Montana, South Dakota and Nebraska. Local employee committees organize almost all of NorthWestern’s charitable activities. In 2009, NorthWestern began providing additional support to a company-wide charitable partner also selected by a committee of employees. 
“2012 is a special year for us,” Rowe said. “We are commemorating a century of service so are planning special events that not only celebrate our first century but also help us build for the second. Organizations like the National MS Society Chapters support this concept by making our communities better places to live for everyone and give those with MS hope for the future.”
Previous corporate partners include the March of Dimes’ Walk for Babies, the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life, and Special Olympics. Partner organizations receive a $25,000 donation from NorthWestern Energy and employee events throughout the year typically raise an additional $25-30,000.
About NorthWestern Energy
NorthWestern Energy provides electricity and natural gas in the Upper Midwest and Northwest, serving approximately 665,000 customers in Montana, South Dakota and Nebraska. More information on NorthWestern Energy is available on the Company's Web site at www.northwesternenergy.com.
 
About multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis interrupts the flow of information between the brain and the body and stops people from moving. Every hour in the United States, someone is diagnosed with MS — an unpredictable, often disabling disease of the central nervous system. Symptoms range from numbness and tingling to blindness and paralysis. The progress, severity and specific symptoms of MS in any one person cannot yet be predicted, but advances in research and treatment are moving us closer to an MS-free world. Most people with MS are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50, with more than twice as many women as men affected by the disease. More than 400,000 people in the United States and 2.5 million worldwide live with MS.
 
About the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Greater Northwest Chapter
MS stops people from moving. The National MS Society exists to make sure it doesn’t. The Society addresses the challenges of each person affected by MS by funding cutting-edge research, driving change through advocacy, facilitating professional education, collaborating with MS organizations around the world, and providing programs and services designed to help people with MS and their families move their lives forward. Headquartered in Seattle with offices in Anchorage and Billings, the Greater Northwest Chapter serves over 12,000 people living with MS and more than 72,000 others including family, friends, caregivers and health care professionals in Alaska, Montana, and Central and Western Washington. We are people who want to do something about MS now. Join the Movement® at MSnorthwest.org.