Thousands of Comcast Volunteers Provide More Than 180,000 Hours of Community Service Nationwide
Philadelphia, PA.
Hundreds of communities across the country received a helping hand last weekend, as 30,000 Comcast employees, family members and friends volunteered their time on Comcast Cares Day, the company's sixth annual day of service. In all, more than 180,000 volunteer hours were logged on October 7 - the equivalent of more than 86 years of service - on projects ranging from beautifying schools, parks and community centers to delivering meals; and from renovating an apartment complex to sprucing up a neighborhood zoo.
For the first time, the National Council of La Raza (NCLR) and the National Urban League were national partners in Comcast Cares Day, working with the company to co-sponsor projects in 30 communities across the country. Comcast worked with 15 local affiliates of NCLR, the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States, and 15 affiliates of the National Urban League (NUL), the nation's oldest and largest community- based movement devoted to empowering African Americans.
In recognition of the efforts of Comcast Cares Day volunteers, the Comcast Foundation is donating more than $1.2 million in grants to the nearly 300 partner organizations in 34 states and Washington, D.C.
"For the sixth consecutive year, Comcast employees turned out in force to donate their time on the weekend to make a noticeable, lasting difference in the towns where they live and work," said Comcast Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Brian L. Roberts. "We were particularly honored to have two outstanding organizations, NCLR and the National Urban League, as national partners this year, along with the hundreds of local organizations around the country that work year-round to serve our communities."
Added Marc Morial, National Urban League President and CEO, "The National Urban League is excited to extend our relationship with Comcast by partnering with them on this year's Comcast Cares Day. Through volunteer initiatives such as this, Urban League affiliates across the nation are provided with resources to empower local communities and ultimately, change the lives of people we serve."
"We are pleased that Comcast selected 15 NCLR affiliates as Cares Day projects," said NCLR President and Chief Executive Officer Janet Murguia. "This special project is part of our comprehensive partnership with Comcast to help improve the lives of the Hispanic community."
There are hundreds of stories of how Comcast Cares Day made a difference in local communities across the country, including:
-- In Norristown, PA, nearly 250 Comcast volunteers spent the day
beautifying the 82-year-old Elmwood Park Zoo, which hosts more than
130,000 visitors every year. Comcast Employees, their friends and
families enthusiastically planted trees, mulched and landscaped the
16-acre Zoo site that's home to more than 200 types of animals
including jaguars, prairie dogs, bison, tarantulas and elk.
-- More than 240 Comcast employees, friends and family members from the
Boston area joined forces to help make a difference at the Shelburne
Community Center in Roxbury, MA. Volunteers painted rooms, cleaned
and reorganized the community center and landscaped and refurbished
the exterior. The family-friendly facility offers a variety of
educational, social and recreational opportunities for the residents
of Roxbury, including interactive developmental sports programs,
cultural awareness classes, summer camps and social development
initiatives.
-- In Memphis, TN, more than 400 Comcast employees and their families
gathered on the first Comcast Cares Day in Memphis to help the
Metropolitan Interfaith Association (MIFA). Volunteers
enthusiastically helped deliver Meals on Wheels, participated in
landscaping projects around MIFA housing units and sorted and
prepared items for the organization's thrift shop. MIFA is a broad-
based inter-faith organization that serves more than 60,000 people
annually. The association's constituents range from six weeks to
more than 100 years old.
In addition to Comcast Cares Day, Comcast employees volunteer year-round with a variety of projects and organizations through the company's Comcast Cares program. For more information on Comcast's volunteer and community investment initiatives, visit http://www.comcast.com/Corporate/About/InTheCommunity/InTheCommunity.html.
About Comcast
Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK) (http://www.comcast.com) is the nation's leading provider of cable, entertainment and communications products and services. With 23.3 million cable customers, 10 million high-speed Internet customers, and 1.6 million voice customers, Comcast is principally involved in the development, management and operation of broadband cable systems and in the delivery of programming content.
Comcast's content networks and investments include E! Entertainment Television, Style Network, The Golf Channel, Versus, G4, AZN Television, PBS KIDS Sprout, TV One and four regional Comcast SportsNets. Comcast also has a majority ownership in Comcast Spectacor, whose major holdings include the Philadelphia Flyers NHL hockey team, the Philadelphia 76ers NBA basketball team and two large multipurpose arenas in Philadelphia.