For many corporations, playing a role in the development and sustainability of local communities ranks high on their list of priorities, and not just as a matter of building profile, but because they have an actual interest. After all, the employees do reside in these communities.
One corporation that certainly doesn’t hide its interest in developing local communities is Comcast, who not only expresses it with words, but also dedicated a day to completing projects. The day is officially dubbed Comcast Cares Day, with thousands volunteering hours of their time to facilitate the execution of projects across the country. The first installment took place back in 2001, and has since grown from strength to strength, increasing in a number of areas including volunteers, participating cities and even participating countries.
Here is a look back at Comcast Cares Day 2014, which took place on April 26:
Some of the Activities
To say that Comcast Cares Day was riddled with activities would be a gross understatement. For this year’s edition, over 800 projects were planned; inclusive of beach clean ups, stocking food banks, improving sporting facilities (basketball courts etc), and constructing playgrounds and picnic tables.
The improvement of the school environment was a particularly big factor in this year’s events. How much so? Over 100 of the projects took place at a neighborhood school, ranging from upgrades to classrooms to the creation of murals for the kids.
Very few can argue that Comcast is one of the most recognized names in terms of important services such as Internet and cable, so it is no surprise that those services were also a part of the activities. There were multiple installations of wiring for web connectivity and cable, which included creating computer areas and erecting televisions.
The numbers speak volumes
- Lots of volunteers
There is a popular idiom that numbers don’t lie, and in this instance they certainly tell a lot of truth as it relates to the influence and impact of Comcast Cares Day. Interestingly, there was quite a bit revealed at the end of the day.
One of the more remarkable figures was the volunteer turn-out on the day, with reports indicating that there were over 95,000 spanning Comcast and NBC Universal. These individuals contributed close to 600,000 hours of service on the day which was pretty noteworthy. This was revealed to be a record-setting figure for a venture that has been running now for 13 years, attracting some 10,000 more than those who played a part in the activities of 2013.
It should be noted that the feat was twice as memorable for Comcast – not only was it considered the biggest turn-out for the service and people-oriented organization, but the 95,000 that helped contributed to arguably the largest single-day corporate volunteer event in the United States.
- A good day for the youth
Another big statistic relates to the youth. It is believed that 20% of those who volunteered on the day were below the age of 18 years. Not only does Comcast Cares Day and initiatives of a similar nature highlight their interest to give back – which is the defining characteristic of the day – but it also combats the notion that young people are not interested in being active and being outdoors. By extension, it was an indicator of ventures that families can be engaged in – of course, many of these children would have made the trip with their parents.
- A global impact
Over the years, Comcast Cares Day has been celebrated, not only across cities in the United States, but in other countries as well. This year, the number of participating countries stood at 15 (the US included), which was more than twice the number visited last year. Among the countries volunteers lent a hand were Spain, Italy, New Zealand, Singapore, Australia, India and England.
A look back…
As noted earlier, this was the 13th time that Comcast Cares Day was being celebrated by the organization. Looking back to the very first edition which took place in Philadelphia, the estimated 95,000 of this year is a whole lot more than the 6,100 volunteers who turned out then.
In total, over 500,000 volunteers have played a role in its success in the 13-year span. This has translated to over 3 million hours of giving back to ensure that infrastructure such as schools and community centers are in great condition for everyone interested to enjoy.
… and forward
The date for the 14th edition of Comcast Cares Day has already been set – April 25, 2015. Without a doubt, there are many who have already circled the day on their calendars in anticipation of another successful outing. Among the many feats the organizers will be looking to achieve will be the hit the six figures, and welcome over 100,000 volunteers – an objective that is certainly achievable given that they had an estimated 10,000 increase from 2013.
Another Successful Comcast Cares Day
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