National Grid Volunteerism a ‘Game Changer’ at Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park

In recent years, hundreds of National Grid employees have been volunteering at Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park on Sept. 11 as part of what’s become an annual Day of Service. Their work has resulted in new areas of the USS Little Rock being illuminated, providing the ability to open never-before-seen areas of the ship where guests can learn and explore: the combat information center and engineering spaces that include massive engine parts. 
            “Because of the relationship that we have developed with National Grid, we’re beginning to do some pretty extraordinary things at the Naval Park that haven’t been conceivable in the past,” said Naval Park Chief Operating Officer Bill Abbott. “There are so many things that we had hoped to do, that were all aspirational; we’re now actually getting to do them. We’ve been able to upgrade and install transformers to revive the Combat Information Center and engineering spaces and, over time, we can make them available to the public.”
            Since 2023, each year on Sept. 11, more than 100 National Grid employees volunteer at the naval park, and bring their talent and expertise to weld, paint, conduct electrical work, carpentry, and more. 
            A few years ago, Naval Park officials sought to upgrade the Little Rock’s lighting to LEDs to reduce the load on the ship’s electricity infrastructure. Their first conversation with National Grid was to learn whether the park might become eligible for LED lighting incentives. 

            “The conversation turned to, ‘What if the company could provide volunteers?” Abbott said. “When National Grid started volunteering, we were shocked to find we were able to get more done in a single day with that one day of service than we could get done in several years. Their impact has been a game changer for the Naval Park.”
            More about the relationship between the Naval Park and National Grid – and images of the combat information center and engineering spaces - can be seen in this video.
            “Our employees understand that volunteerism has the power to bring people together and create meaningful, lasting change in the communities where we live and work,” said National Grid Regional Director Ken Kujawa. “We’re proud to have learned that we’ve made such a significant difference. We enjoy spending time and sharing our expertise when we gather at the Naval Park every year. Our employees have made the event fun and inspiring, a day that we all look forward to; so much so that it’s become somewhat of an annual tradition and we hear from our people all the time how they can’t wait to go back.”
            “A lot of visitors may see the finished work, the progress and the momentum, but may never fully understand the amount of effort, problem solving, persistence, and steady leadership it took behind the scenes to actually make these things happen,” said Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park CEO Brian Luallen. “National Grid has been an enormous part of moving the park forward during one of the most difficult and important periods in its modern history, and we’re grateful for everything that they have done and continue to do.”