TDS donates $1,000 to Friends of Oregon School District

Friends of Oregon School District is among the top vote-getters by TDS employees in the 50 for 50 Golden Year of Giving initiative.

To celebrate its 50th anniversary, Telephone and Data Systems (NYSE:TDS) has launched the 50 for 50 Golden Year of Giving initiative. In conjunction with its subsidiaries—TDS Telecom, OneNeck IT Solutions, Suttle-Straus and U.S. Cellular—the company will be giving $50,000 to charities across the country in 2019, based solely on employee recommendations and votes.

One of the recipients is Friends of Oregon School District, an organization founded by parents in the Oregon (Wisconsin) School District to eliminate barriers to success. Some of the obstacles the charity helps students overcome are hunger, transportation to and from school and extracurricular activities, access to technology, and adult role models and mentors. The charity was nominated by TDS Telecom Senior Network Specialist Tom Schaefer, a parent in the school district.

“I have seen firsthand how this [organization] has positively affected students that attend school with my children in the district,” said Schaefer. “It’s exciting to see the community come together during the fund raisers they have and hear how they put the donations, like the one from TDS, to use.”

Some examples of what the organization was able to accomplish in 2017-18 include:

  • 28,957 snacks delivered to Oregon Schools
  • 483 food packs delivered for school breaks
  • 220 food gift cards purchased for school breaks
  • $6,650 raised to support Adopt-A-Kid’s lunch balance

This is one of many charitable organizations that will receive support from the TDS 50 for 50 Golden Year of Giving initiative. Through November 2019, employees have the opportunity to nominate, and then vote for charities selected by their co-workers. The two organizations that garner the most votes each month will receive $3,000 and $1,000, respectively. In December, employees will vote again and two of the 22 winning organizations will receive an additional $4,000 or $2,000.


The founder of Telephone and Data Systems, Roy Carlson, once said, “I firmly believe that a local community is best served by local people who are aware of local needs.”

For TDS, being good citizens has always been a part of the company’s mission. The company viewed this anniversary celebration as a natural way to celebrate and give back. For more information about community involvement, visit tdstelecom.com.


Media Contact: Garrett Seymour | Intern – Communications | TDS | 608-664-5529 | Garrett.Seymour@tdstelecom.com

TDS Telecommunications LLC (TDS Telecom/TDS®) delivers high-speed internet, TV entertainment, and phone services to a mix of small to mid-sized urban, suburban and rural communities throughout the U.S. With 1.1 million connections, TDS’ mission is to create a better world through its communications services. Powered by fiber-optics and new industry-leading technologies, TDS delivers up to 8 Gigabit internet speeds and offers internet-protocol based TV entertainment solutions along with traditional phone services. TDS also offers businesses VoIP advanced communications solutions, dedicated internet service, and data networking services. Visit tdstelecom.com.

TDS Telecom, headquartered in Madison, Wis., employs 3,400 people and is a subsidiary of Telephone and Data Systems, Inc. [NYSE: TDS]. Founded in 1969, Telephone and Data Systems provides wireless, broadband, video and voice services to approximately 6 million connections nationwide through its businesses: UScellular and TDS Telecom. Visit tdsinc.com.

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