Powering Chicago Lights the Way for Chicago's 2020 Holiday Season

CHICAGO, Nov. 20, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Although the 2020 holiday season will require many familiar routines to be altered because of COVID-19, one of Chicago's cherished holiday traditions remains intact with the help of Powering Chicago. Through January 7, 2021, the city's "official" Christmas tree – presented by Powering Chicago – will be shining brightly in Millennium Park following the installation of 65,000 multi-colored lights in recent weeks by IBEW Local 134 electricians working for Schaumburg-based electrical contractor All Tech Energy.

The tree, a 45-foot Blue Spruce donated by a family in Chicago's Morgan Park neighborhood, was illuminated this week by representatives from Powering Chicago, the Electrical Contractors' Association of City of Chicago, and the Diaz family, guests of Powering Chicago from the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Chicagoland & Northwest Indiana.

"The unionized electrical industry in the City of Chicago and suburban Cook County is proud to have once again been entrusted with powering the most visible Christmas tree in our city," said Powering Chicago Director Elbert Walters III. "Powering Chicago takes great pride each year in ensuring that the Millennium Park tree is a stunning visual demonstration of the holiday spirit, and that's even more important during a challenging year like this one."

All Tech Energy, selected to light the tree for the first time, is a WBE and DBE company founded in 1994. In recent weeks, skilled union electricians from IBEW Local 134 working for All Tech spooled approximately 4.7 miles of lights destined to adorn the tree, wrapping connections in electrical tape and testing them frequently to ensure that the lights will continue to function correctly regardless of any inclement winter weather.   

Replacing an in-person lighting ceremony this holiday season was a virtual program titled "Millennium Park at Home: Chicago Holidays." Featuring a holiday greeting from Mayor Lori Lightfoot and First Lady Amy Eshleman, the program is archived and will be viewable throughout the 2020 holiday season on the YouTube channel of the City of Chicago's Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events.

Pending any additional guidance from the City of Chicago, guests can visit the Millennium Park Christmas Tree to see firsthand the work of Chicagoland's skilled union electricians through January 7, 2021. The Park is open daily, from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., for groups of 10 persons or fewer who practice physical distancing and wear face coverings. For information about where to enter/exit the Park and any updated instructions about COVID-19 protocols, visit MillenniumPark.org.

About Powering Chicago

Bringing together the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 134 electricians and the Electrical Contractors' Association (ECA) of the City of Chicago, Powering Chicago is an electrical industry labor-management partnership that invests in consistently better construction, better careers and better communities within the metro Chicago region. Employing the latest technology, its members are elevating industry performance through their commitment to safety, level of experience and reliability, while also investing in the future of skilled labor through an innovative apprenticeship program that is paving the way for the next generation of skilled electricians. For additional information, visit poweringchicago.com.

SOURCE Powering Chicago