We have a lot of people of all ages who want to volunteer.
Hey, let’s do some thinking ahead! We’re welcoming ideas for Comcast Cares Day 2112. On April 21, 2112, employees, families and friends will volunteer at a dozen sites throughout Washington in groups from 50 to 350.
We’ve done everything from transform small parks and school grounds to repainting and rehabilitating buildings such as youth centers. At this link you can see more than you ever wanted to know about a volunteer day in 2011 to get an idea of what sort of projects we take on.
As you can imagine, these are not everyday volunteer projects. There needs to be a lot of room and a lot of need at the location. Usually, these are pretty big projects either because there’s a lot to do, or a lot of land or building to cover, or both. And this is a family event; we bring a lot of children and set up programs for them too. To be honest, when it comes to choosing locations, there are always one or two areas where we find ourselves without an obvious project. Then we start scrambling to find a site big enough to host all we can do. Surely with some advance notice, the community can help us find the most appropriate sites for this kind of help.
So chances are if you are involved with a nonprofit, school, or other group with a need that big, you know about that need right now.
If you think your group might benefit from that many volunteers on an April weekend, get in touch We’d love to start compiling a list of potential sites and getting on the calendars of groups and locations that would benefit from this volunteerism.
In our most recent Comcast Neighborhoods, host Sabrina Register takes us to Lynnwood, a Snohomish County city with a population of about 35,000. You’ll find this new segment On Demand. Comcast Digital TV customers can go to On Demand and then click on “Get Local.” Then go to ‘Around the Sound” and click “Neighborhoods.”
Among the sights and sounds and people featured:
Golf
While many talk of Lynnwood and shopping opportunities in the same breath, there are lots of recreational activities to keep the visitor entertained. More than a million golfers have teed off at the Lynnwood Municipal Course since it first opened 20 years ago.
With retirement of its 20-year-financing bond taking place this fall, the municipal course looks toward the future and planned course improvements, like a warm-up and hitting area, better parking and expanded concessions.
Public Art
Move past Lynnwood’s shopping complexes and malls, and you’ll experience beauty and tranquility. Public art dots the city landscape.
One percent of every major construction project in Lynnwood is set aside to create public art in the city.
While the city has grown, so has it’s art collection, found in many of Lynnwood’s parks and in front of administrative buildings. Enjoy!
Lynnwood Trolley
Lynnwood’s own trolley is nestled off Interstate 5 at Heritage Park, three acres that the city purchased in 1999 in order to preserve historical structures.
The crown jewel of the park is the Interurban Trolley Car 55, which used to transport people from Alderwood Manor to Seattle and Everett from 1910-1939. Considered the “Cadillac” of electric rail cars, the faithfully restored #55 is the only one remaining of the original six trolleys.
It doesn’t matter if the weather turns. In Lynnwood, you can splash around all year! The newly renovated recreation center has all the bells and whistles swimmers and water thrill seekers want. With not one but two 200-foot slides, a spray pool, a current river, two hot tubs, and a retractable roof. This indoor facility is your ticket to fun!
Comcast Digital TV customers can see the segment by these easy steps: 1. Go to On Demand
2. Look for the Get Local folder.
3. Go to ‘Around the Sound.’
4. Click ‘Neighborhoods.’
Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire explains why Internet and technology access are important at a news conference about Comcast's Internet Essentials.
COMCAST, WASHINGTON GOVERNOR, TACOMA MAYOR, SCHOOL AND NONPROFIT OFFICIALS SHARE BEST-IN-CLASS DIGITAL INCLUSION INITIATIVES TO HELP CLOSE THE DIGITAL DIVIDE IN WASHINGTON STATE
‘Internet Essentials’ to Provide Families with Children Eligible for a Free Lunch under the National School Lunch Program with Low-Cost Internet Service, Affordable Computers and Digital Literacy Training
Update: Here’s some news stories that describe this development:
(Tacoma, WA) Sept. 15, 2011 – Washington Governor Chris Gregoire, Tacoma Mayor Marilyn Strickland, Tacoma School Board President Kurt Miller, Tacoma Urban League CEO (and City Councilwoman) Victoria Woodards, Tacoma Housing Authority Executive Director Michael Mirra and Comcast Washington Senior Vice President Len Rozek hosted a briefing today to discuss best-in-class broadband inclusion programs.
At a Tacoma Housing Authority computer center in the Hilltop area of Tacoma, Rozek explained a new national initiative called Internet Essentials, which is being viewed as the most ambitious and comprehensive broadband adoption program in the state and country to date.
The program addresses three primary barriers to broadband adoption:
A lack of understanding of how the Internet is relevant and useful;
The cost of a home computer, and
The cost of high-speed Internet service.
Internet Essentials is available to families living in Comcast’s service areas with children who are eligible to receive a free lunch under the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). The goal of Internet Essentials is to help ensure more families benefit from all the Internet has to offer.
According to Rozek, “We’re excited to bring broadband and computers to so many young people and families. We have long provided financial and in-kind support to programs promoting digital literacy and increased broadband adoption. To us here in Washington, Internet Essentials takes all that work to a new level. This program has the potential to help thousands of our Washington families cross the digital divide.”
During the briefing at Hillside Terrace, Gov. Gregoire, Mayor Strickland, and other leaders joined Rozek to introduce Internet Essentials and discuss ways to work together to help bridge the digital divide.
“We live in a wired world,” Gov. Gregoire said. “And those who don’t have access to that world are at a real and growing disadvantage. With Internet at home, children can research and complete their homework, adults can seek new or better jobs, and families can explore the world together. I commend Comcast for undertaking this initiative, and encourage other businesses to find new and creative ways to help families succeed.”
“Comcast’s commitment to closing the digital divide is a much needed boost to those who do not have Internet access at home — providing families with important resources that many of us take for granted,” Mayor Strickland said. “The Internet Essentials program is a perfect example of how a local school district, city government and the business community can work together to help families with education, and other quality of life needs that rely on access to information. We’re embracing this in Tacoma.”
“As America increasingly becomes a digital nation, in-classroom learning is being supplemented with digital curriculums and at-home assignments,” said School Board President Miller. “Internet Essentials will help more low-income families benefit from the educational resources and assistance the Internet provides. They will have greater access to the many online programs and educational resources our district has developed to help our students.”
The very first training in Washington State for new users of the Internet will be Tuesday, Sept, 20, conducted by the Tacoma Urban League and its youth Digital Connectors.
“We’re pleased that Comcast wants to bring not only the Internet to these homes, but also knowledge of how the Internet can be used safely,” said Victoria Woodards, CEO and President of the Tacoma Urban League. ”We need parents, educators, community leaders and other government officials to join in this effort, spread the word about Internet Essentials and help increase broadband adoption in our community.”
Service Details:
Qualified Internet Essentials families will receive:
Residential Internet service for $9.95 a month + applicable taxes;
No price increases, no activation fees, or equipment rental fees;
A voucher to purchase a low-cost computer for $149.99 + tax; and
Access to free digital literacy training in print, online, and in person
Additional benefits include a complementary Norton™ Security Suite ($160 value) for comprehensive online security protection.
Eligibility:
A household is eligible to participate in the Internet Essentials program if it meets all of the following criteria:
Is located where Comcast offers Internet service;
Has at least one child who is eligible to receive free school lunch under the NSLP;
As an example, according to the Department of Agriculture, a household of three would have to make less than $25,000 a year in income;
Has not subscribed to Comcast Internet service within the last 90 days;
Does not have an overdue Comcast bill or unreturned equipment.
Comcast will sign up eligible families in the program for at least three years, through the end of the 2013-2014 school year. Any household that qualifies during this three-year period will remain eligible for Internet Essentials provided a child eligible for a free lunch remains living in the household.
For general information about Internet Essentials, please visit www.internetessentials.com for English and visit www.internetbasico.com for Spanish. Educators or third-parties interested in helping to spread the word can find more information at www.internetessentials.com/partner. Parents looking to enroll in the program can call 1-855-846-8376 or, for Spanish, 1-855-765-6995.
About Comcast Corporation:
Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK) (www.comcast.com) is one of the nation’s leading providers of entertainment, information and communications products and services. Comcast is principally involved in the operation of cable systems through Comcast Cable and in the development, production and distribution of entertainment, news, sports and other content for global audiences through NBCUniversal. Comcast Cable is one of the nation’s largest video, high-speed Internet and phone providers to residential and business customers. Comcast is the majority owner and manager of NBCUniversal, which owns and operates entertainment and news cable networks, the NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks, local television station groups, television production operations, a major motion picture company and theme parks.
Comcast has about 3,300 Washington employees, including 1,000 local customer service representatives in three call centers, who serve more than 1.1 million customers in Washington. For more information, visit http://www.comcastinwashingtonstate.com.
There’s been a lot written about Internet Essentials; visit our corporate blog for more announcements in other states and more information about the program.
“The channel is strangely addicting … like having your television hard wired to a portable control room parked in your driveway packed with guys with headsets whose only job is to make sure you don’t miss an important play …”
For years, the most important piece of equipment in my household on NFL Sundays wasn’t the television or the snacks or even the beverages, it was the Comcast universal remote control. That is, until we got NFL RedZone. Now, the remote sits forlornly on the sofa, its batteries fully charged, its buttons barely touched.
In the dark ages before NFL RedZone on XFINITY, I would switch between games and pre- and post-game shows, catching highlights and analysis on one channel, while switching to live action on another, hoping I didn’t miss a big play. It was an inexact science that resulted in frustration and lots of missed action. Now, those days are over. I let NFL RedZone do all the work.
Normally, the channel is available as part of Comcast’s Sports Entertainment Package for less than $8 a month. But this Sunday, we are offering a free preview of the channel to all Comcast digital cable customers. You can find it on channel 410 in standard definition or channel 637 in high definition format. NFL RedZone airs every Sunday beginning at 8:30 a.m. PST through the completion of the afternoon games.
The channel is strangely addicting. It is like having your television hard wired to a portable control room parked in your driveway packed with guys with headsets whose only job is to make sure you don’t miss an important play in any game from across the country. And believe me: these NFL RedZone guys take their jobs seriously. They move from game to game each time a team is positioned to score inside the 20-yard-line. In addition to live look-ins, coverage includes game highlights and fantasy stats.
If you think about it, the channel makes a lot of sense. I’ve read that the amount of real action that takes place during an NFL game is something like 11 minutes. That leaves a lot of time watching commercials, challenges, huddles, time outs, and really big guys saying hi to their moms while sitting on the bench. Who has time for all that?
Of course, NFL Redzone is just one part of our NFL coverage. NFL RedZone joins Xfinity TV’s multiplatform sports lineup of live TV, Xfinity On Demand and XfinityTV.com that offers the most live sports, including 120 NFL games in HD, with Sunday Night Football on NBC, Monday Night Football on ESPN, Sunday games on FOX and CBS and Thursday Night Football on NFL Network. Xfinity TV customers also have access to NFL Network, which provides On Demand recaps of every NFL game, 24/7 year-round coverage, expert analysis, original programming, and more.
Be sure to check out our Comcast Neighborhoods segment on Auburn here. Neighborhoods host Sabrina Register shares many of the attractions of this King County city, which was home to some of the state’s earliest settlers.
Some of the features and guests included in this segment:
While many talk of Lynnwood and shopping opportunities in the same breath, there are lots of recreational activities to keep the visitor entertained. More than a million golfers have teed off at the 
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