On April 21, nearly 70,000 Comcasters across the country joined together in the nation’s single largest day of volunteer service undertaken by a single company. Comcasters, their friends, family members and community partners worked together through hundreds of organized projects to make a difference in our communities and in the lives of others.
Here in the Utah, more than 5,000 volunteers tackled 12 community improvement projects. Comcast Cares Day is always an exciting day for our employees and their families – it gives us the opportunity to work side by side with each other and community members to give back to the communities we serve. Below is a recap of what we worked to accomplish this year together.
West Lake Junior High in West Valley City
Located in West Valley City, West Lake Junior High was the site for a big Cares Day effort. More than 300 volunteers participated in projects to enhance the school environment there. Volunteer projects spanned painting in the school gym and auditorium, clean up and landscaping in the courtyard. The school grounds got a pick-me-up with a re-sodding of deteriorating outdoor areas.
Copper Hills High School, West Jordan
This school is situated just east of the Oquirrh Mountains in the southwest corner of the Salt Lake Valley. It serves 2,400 students from an ethnically diverse community. On Cares Day, 600 volunteers performed a deep clean of the school’s interior hallways, painted inside the school and did light landscaping among other projects.
Logan City Projects
The city of Logan is home to more than 48,000 residents and was founded in 1859. Working in partnership with the Logan Parks and Rec department, nearly 200 volunteers worked together on various projects throughout the city including projects at Pioneer Park, the Logan Recreation Center, Willow Park Zoo, the Logan River Trail, Gateway Park, the city cemetery, the Logan Aquatic Center. Other projects took place at the Logan River Golf Course, the Hyrum Gibbons Mount Logan Park, Canyon Entrance Park, Lundstrom Park, Morningside Park, Bridger Park and Bonneville Shoreline Trail. Projects in the area included landscaping, cleanup, interior painting and more.
Utah Food Bank in Salt Lake City
More than 100 Comcast Cares Day volunteers helped pack, sort and label Food Bank inventory for Utahns in need. During normal operations, The Food Bank staff, volunteers and agencies work together to gather and distribute emergency food to individuals and families experiencing the pain of hunger in Utah. The organization has been in operation since 1904. Since 1977, the Utah Food Bank has been the central hub for food collection and distribution in the state.
Meadowlark Elementary in Salt Lake City
This elementary school in Salt Lake City serves 550 elementary school students in grades 1 through 6. More than 250 volunteers participated in projects to beautify Meadowlark. The school was transformed after painting school hallways and classrooms and doing a perimeter clean up of the school grounds. Comcast also held a read-a-thon at this location as well as a digital literacy training for children attending the event.
Farmington City Project
In the winter of 2011, wind caused damage to homes, businesses and public infrastructure. It’s estimated that the storm caused about $20 million in damage. About 500 volunteers worked various volunteer projects around Farmington City, including at Woodland Park, South Park, the 600 North tunnel, Davis Creek Trail and Legacy Trail. Projects in the area included landscaping at Woodland and South parks, painting at the 600 North tunnel, cleanup at the Davis Creak and Legacy Trail and various landscape work at other areas in the city.
Midvale Middle School
More than 500 volunteers at this location performed a deep clean of the auditorium and the media room. One of the highlights included adding inspirational sayings on hallway walls. The school also got a facelift with a deep clean of the gym, cafeteria and school grounds. Several volunteers also lead a read-a-thon for attending children.
Golden Hours Senior Center in Ogden
Golden Hours Senior Center promotes independence and provides health and wellness, fitness, art, socialization, nutrition, music, job skills, computer training and educational opportunities for the seniors of Ogden City. The center offers a friendly, safe and comfortable environment that enriches the lives of the seniors they proudly serve. Volunteers here took on projects to enhance the environment at the Senior Center. Projects included repainting the cafeteria/auditorium, painting the center’s gym, clean up of the grounds and adding a colorful mural to the interior of the center.
South Salt Lake Projects
More than 23,000 residents live in South Salt Lake and take advantage of a variety of community amenities. Comcast helped improve the community through a number of Cares Day projects. About 800 volunteers were deployed to projects around South Salt Lake, including those at the Columbus Senior Center, Fitts Park, Pioneer Craft House, the South Salt Lake Police Athletic League’s Pete Suazo Boxing Center and McCall Park. Projects included landscaping and tree planting at Fitts Park and McCall Park, painting at the Columbus Senior Center, painting at the Pioneer Craft House and more.
New Park Project in Salt Lake City
This 11-acre property was previously owned by Rocky Mountain Power. Now, the city will use the space as a park for area residents in the coming years. About 250 volunteers were dispatched to help prepare the space for future use. Volunteers made a big difference by removing garbage and doing overall cleanup.
Utah State Lake Park in Provo
This park is a popular gathering site for boaters, fishermen and watersport enthusiasts. To get the area ready for the season, volunteers helped spruce up the park in a variety of areas. A team of 900 volunteers helped clean campground and day-use areas, collected litter, cleared debris and restored flood damaged areas. The team also led a special fun and educational activity for participating children.
West High School in Salt Lake City
West High School is the oldest high school in Utah. It was founded in 1890, and it is part of the Salt Lake City School District. With more than 500 volunteers deployed to the school, projects included landscaping, stadium bleacher cleanup, interior cleaning projects and more. Comcast also conducted a digital literacy training session where community members could learn more about broadband technologies.
