Direct Energy Honors Former Steelers player as Volunteer Citizen of the Year

Pittsburgh, PA (July 28, 2015) - Former Steelers player and NFL Super Bowl Champion, Jeff Hartings, is this year's winner of the Pittsburgh Volunteer Citizen of the Year award, presented by Direct Energy and Trib Total Media. Hartings was recognized for mentoring at-risk youth through various sports programs and raising $3 million for Urban Impact, a nonprofit organization that provides in-school and after-school education programs for at-risk youth in the North Side of Pittsburgh.

While volunteering at Urban Impact for the past 12 years, Hartings developed a partnership between Urban Impact, the Steelers, corporations and small businesses to create the Play Ball 4 Kids, a fundraising program that has raised $3 million for Urban Impact's programs. These funds are dedicated to Urban Impacts' arts, athletics and in-school/after school education programs, including youth football clinics led by Steelers players, and basketball and baseball leagues, which aim to teach children integrity and responsibility. In addition to Play Ball 4 Kids fundraising, Hartings secured $40,000 worth of donated materials to help renovate a missionary home for Urban Impact, which serves as a safe and comfortable haven to children who come from unstable homes.

"These students often lack role models, a structured family life and even a safe atmosphere to be with their peers after school," said Hartings. "Above all, Urban Impact is dedicated to give every student and family they serve the ability to succeed hope for the future."

"Jeff's collaborative work with Urban Impact's Playball 4 Kids paves a path for underprivileged youth to set and achieve healthy goals," said Cullen Hay, US-North general manager, Direct Energy. "His leadership and dedication is invaluable to Pittsburgh's youth."

Direct Energy will present a $5,000 donation to Urban Impact, which will be used to fund education programs, performing arts classes and sports leagues to North Side youth in Pittsburgh.

A special award event honoring Hartings will be held on Saturday, August 1, 2015 at 2:00 p.m. Representatives from Direct Energy and Trib Total Media will be on hand to present Hartings with the award and the donation to Urban Impact. The event will be held at Robinson Chapel located at 801 Union Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15212.

For further information, please contact:
Jessica Michan
Manager, External Relations
Jessica.Michan@directenergy.com
713-904-7488

About Direct Energy

Direct Energy is a leading energy and energy-related services provider with nearly five million residential and commercial customers in North America. Direct Energy provides customers with choice and support in managing their energy costs through a portfolio of innovative products and services. A subsidiary of Centrica plc (LSE: CNA), one of the world's leading integrated energy companies, Direct Energy operates in 50 U.S. states plus the District of Columbia and 10 provinces in Canada. To learn more about Direct Energy, please visit www.directenergy.com.

About Trib Total Media

Trib Total Media is a multimedia network of daily and weekly newspapers, weekly shoppers, and websites delivering news, information and advertising to over 1.2 million readers across Western Pennsylvania every week. Trib Total Media's targeted direct mail, promotional products, commercial printing, media planning and digital services deliver a variety of marketing solutions for advertisers big and small. In addition, Trib Total Media has formed strategic partnerships with community and non-profit organizations across the region, enabling Trib Total Media to conTRIBute and make a positive impact in the communities we serve. Visit TribTotalMedia.com and discover how we do things right. Here.