NorthWestern Energy has formed a partnership with Ryan United, a nonprofit group, to help deliver safety information and promote awareness of child safety in communities across its three-state service territory.
NorthWestern and Ryan United will work together on the RU SAFE Community program, which includes missing-child response and prevention, cyber safety for children and adults and the ‘know and tell” concept that encourages situational awareness and reporting of suspicious activity. The RU SAFE Community program was
developed by Ryan United.
“We are honored to partner with a great organization, Ryan United,” said Bob Rowe, NorthWestern’s President and CEO. “Our employees are present and visible in communities across our service area. I frequently hear from community members how our employees go out of their way to assist in all kinds of situations and how their help really makes a difference. This partnership builds on their presence, commitment and professionalism to help with an especially critical problem.”
NorthWestern is working to place the RU SAFE Community logo and information on all of its fleet vehicles and is working to educate its more than 1,600 employees in Montana, South Dakota and Nebraska about the program and partnership.
Ryan United is private, nonprofit organization formed in memory of 8-year-old Ryan VanLuchene, who was abducted from his rural Montana backyard and murdered by a repeat sex offender in 1987. Ryan United was formed by the child’s family and works with law enforcement, correction officials, communities and others to promote child safety education and training.
“We are very excited about the partnership with NorthWestern Energy,” said Derek VanLuchene, Ryan United’s President and Founder. “NorthWestern employees have a strong presence in the areas they serve and will help further the mission of Ryan United by helping keep communities safe. Our RU SAFE Community Program will help NorthWestern employees identify and report situations where a child may be in danger. In addition, NorthWestern Energy will serve as a partner within the communities they serve to foster our RU SAFE Community Town Hall meetings, which bring vital information to communities regarding issues of child safety. With the addition of the RU SAFE Community logo on the fleet of NorthWestern Energy vehicles and the ongoing goal to keep communities safe, we are hoping this program becomes a mainstay in all the communities NorthWestern Energy serves.
