Representatives from Comcast, the Boys & Girls Club of Milford and the Sportsman Channel were joined by Connecticut State Senator James Maroney, Connecticut State Representative Kathy Kennedy and Milford Mayor Anthony Giannattasio to announce a $20,000 grant and donation of 50 laptops to the Boys & Girls Club of Milford to help advance digital literacy skills. The donation was announced during the National Digital Inclusion Alliance’s Digital Inclusion Week for awareness, recognition and celebration of digital equity efforts.
“It’s wonderful to see Comcast partnering with the Boys & Girls Club of Milford to provide our local youth with new STEM programming experiences,” said State Senator James Maroney. “Every child should have equal access to digital technologies and this donation opens a whole new world of opportunities for kids to explore, create and learn in a supportive and fun environment.”
The donation of 50 laptops from Comcast supports the Boys & Girls Club of Milford’s technology program, which cultivates interest and skills in key STEM areas. In addition to the laptops, Comcast’s $20,000 grant enables the Club to purchase new drones and 3D printers which, when used with the laptops, introduces students to computer programming and artificial intelligence (AI) applications.
“We are grateful to Comcast for enabling us to introduce AI technology not only to our members, but their families as well,” said Megan Altomare, Executive Director of Boys & Girls Club of Milford. “We continually look for new ways to engage our students and thanks to Comcast’s generosity, we’ll be able to ensure that our participants are prepared for the future and can use the technology tools we all need to be successful.”
The donation from Comcast is part of Project UP, Comcast’s $1 billion commitment to advance digital equity through programs and community partnerships that connect people to the Internet, advance economic mobility and open doors for the next generation of innovators, entrepreneurs, storytellers and creators. This investment includes digital equity programs such as Internet Essentials, Lift Zones and Digital Navigators.
The donation is also an example of Comcast’s latest investment in Connecticut, which includes a project that is well underway to expand its smart, fast and reliable Xfinity network to nearly 24,000 homes and businesses in Milford.
“We love being a part of the Milford community and are thankful to organizations like the Boys & Girls Club of Milford for ensuring more people have the resources they need to adopt the Internet,” said Carolyne Hannan, Senior Vice President of Comcast’s New England Region. “At Comcast, digital inclusion is a year-round effort and we’re proud to support the Club’s technology program, which will inspire even more kids to pursue STEM careers in the future.”
The grant announcement was followed by a Hunt.Fish.Feed. dinner, hosted in partnership with the Sportsman Channel, where Comcast volunteers prepared and provided meals created by Sportsman Channel Chef Paul Comes for members of the Boys & Girls Club of Milford and their families. The meal centered around venison tacos to demonstrate that venison can be a kid-friendly option.
“It’s been a pleasure to partner with Comcast and to engage with members of the Boys & Girls Club of Milford,” said Sportsman Channel Chef Paul Comes. “The Hunt.Fish.Feed. program has served nearly 40,000 meals across the country since its inception and the smiles on the kids’ faces as they eat something new and delicious never gets old.”
Launched in 2007 by the Sportsman Channel, Hunt.Fish.Feed. continues to raise awareness of the ongoing hunger crisis in the United States. Comcast’s support of the Hunt.Fish.Feed. program builds on its long history of community service and partnerships and aligns with Team UP, the company’s national employee volunteer program.
