Powering NEXT Level fun and funds for the Hard Hats with Heart Campaign!

After findings indicated that a friendly golf competition could help to reduce rates of cardiovascular disease in construction workers, NEXT Electric, subsidiary group of IES Electrical, powered next level fun and funds with a golf drive in support of the American Heart Association’s Hard Hats with Heart campaign.

It was a sunny Friday morning, nothing like what it was only days prior when bands of thunderstorms brought tornado warnings to the Milwaukee area. The clear skies and low wind made for perfect weather to golf! As 8:00 A.M. approached, NEXT Electric team members in electric blue polo shirts flooded the Western Lakes Golf Course in preparation for NEXT’s first VIP golf event, ‘The Drive.’ The event helped to fund an initiative of The American Heart Association (AHA) called Hard Hats with Heart.

“Hard Hats with Heart is an industry-specific initiative from the American Heart Association to improve the cardiovascular health of those working within the construction industry,” said Liz Martin, Development Director of the American Heart Association (AHA) in Milwaukee, who was easily identifiable in her red AHA jacket amongst a sea of blue shirts. “The campaign’s focus is to integrate health, well-being, and prevention solutions into the culture of the industry” she continued.

NEXT Electric has partnered with the Hard Hats with Heart campaign for over 12 years. Around 2013, that involvement deepened when NEXT President, Chris Surges, was asked to serve on the twelve-member Hard Hats board- a commitment he has steadfastly maintained since then. Under strong leadership and strategic guidance, efforts of the 2023 board helped the organization to successfully raise approximately $350,000! In 2024, Chris was elected by his peers to serve as chairman of the board. With an immediate goal to surpass the 2023 achievement of $350,000, Chris set out to organize a series of incredible fundraising events, including the major VIP golfing event that would fundraise upwards of 28,000 dollars, and round out AED Awareness week of National Safety Month. Each dollar raised contributed to the improved wellbeing of construction workers and funded trainings within the construction industry that will eventually save lives.

Though NEXT is widely known in Milwaukee for community outreach and service, an event like The Drive was the first of its kind for NEXT. As Nate DeYoung, NEXT Marketing Assistant charged with coordinating the event, finished up pre-event details, VIP’s and guests began to arrive. “We’re excited that today is finally here!” said Nate, “our hope was to create an atmosphere of fun and friendly competition while simultaneously creating opportunities for participants to network.” As VIP’s and guests got settled in, Chris extended a warm welcome with handshakes and jokes as golf bags were loaded onto the golf carts prior to the shotgun start.

“We’re feeling really good about beating last year’s numbers,” said Chris pointing at the rows of parked golf carts, “we’re at $36,000 presently, and each cart represents $3,500— with our auction and other plans this year, we’ll meet our goal.”

Before the morning networking window ended at 10:00 A.M., the event was in full swing (no pun intended), with each hole becoming a hub of friendly competition and NEXT level fun. As the drive culminated, NEXT Electric reported reaching its fundraising goals, expressing great gratitude to all participants, sponsors, and volunteers who made ‘The Drive’ a resounding success.

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