Publication Type: Media Release
Date: 1/31/2008CONTACT: Rob Stoddard/Brian Dietz, NCTA, 202-222-2350; Eric Thomas, Fratelli Group, 202-822-9491
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The cable industry’s “CableCares” initiative, a community service project to assist ongoing recovery efforts in New Orleans, will focus on rebuilding school playgrounds and libraries and providing enhancements for schools in the City of New Orleans, said Kyle McSlarrow, President & CEO, National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA), in remarks today to the Louisiana Cable & Telecommunications Association.
CableCares will coincide with the staging of The Cable Show ’08, NCTA’s 57th Annual Convention and International Exposition, in New Orleans from May 18-20, 2008. The public service initiative will utilize the resources of the cable broadband industry and the goodwill of Cable Show delegates, many of whom will arrive in New Orleans early to participate in volunteer activities.
“New Orleans has been a great and gracious host to cable’s annual convention over the years. We are excited that the Cable Show is returning to the Big Easy for the ninth time – and even more excited about making a positive impact on the lives of thousands of the city’s young people through the CableCares effort,” said McSlarrow.
CableCares is being coordinated by NCTA and Cable in the Classroom (CIC) in partnership with the City of New Orleans, the Recovery School District, Cox New Orleans, and KaBOOM!, a national nonprofit playground advocacy organization. The following projects will be the focus of many of the charitable and volunteer initiatives.
Rebuilding Playgrounds
Hurricane Katrina destroyed many of the city's playgrounds, leaving children without a safe place to play. Funded by the cable industry, CableCares and nonprofit organization KaBOOM! are teaming to build a brand new playground at the Fannie C. Williams Elementary School in East New Orleans. The playground – designed by community leaders, residents and the students themselves – will be built in one day by 200 volunteers from the cable industry and the community.
“Years after Hurricane Katrina and Rita, there's still so much work to be done. Communities have yet to be rebuilt and kids' lives are by no means back to normal. We applaud NCTA and CableCares for their investment of time and money in making this community-built playground a reality. Their commitment to the cause is a great example for others to follow,” said Darell Hammond, CEO and co-founder of KABOOM!
Additional playground projects will be considered. To suggest a project or to pledge your support of the Williams School project, contact cablecares@ncta.com by February 11, 2008.
Bringing Schools Back
Many of New Orleans’ schools have yet to fully recover from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. CableCares, working directly with the Recovery School District officials, has identified two other schools as beneficiaries of the cable effort. In partnership with Cox Business Services New Orleans and other sponsors, CableCares will provide wiring and equipment necessary to bring Banneker Elementary School advanced cable services, including digital cable and broadband Internet service, along with televisions, DVD players, and more.
CableCares volunteers, in partnership with DIY Network, will also give Sarah T. Reed High School in East New Orleans a much-needed facelift by spending Saturday, May 17, painting and landscaping the school grounds.
Rebuilding Libraries
CableCares also hopes to collect thousands of new books to replenish the shelves of New Orleans’ school libraries through a three-step program:
- Bring It: Cable Show delegates will be encouraged to bring a copy of an elementary school-level book to the convention and drop it off at the CableCares Booth on the exhibit floor. Books will be collected throughout the show and later delivered to schools. Suggestions for books in the pre-K to 5th grade levels are available under the CableCares tab at www.thecableshow.com.
- Buy It: Full classroom sets of books are packaged and available for sponsorship through the CableCares website. For every donation of $250, an entire classroom will be outfitted with a complete set of books requested by the teachers.
- Publishers and Content Suppliers: NCTA will work with member companies and others that publish or produce print, video or audio content appropriate for grades K through 12, to arrange shipping to New Orleans and distribution to the appropriate schools.
Additional details regarding other CableCares efforts will be announced soon. For more information or to get involved with CableCares, visit www.thecableshow.com or contact NCTA’s Melinda Schwartz-Oliver at mschwartz@ncta.com.
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NCTA is the principal trade association for the U.S. cable industry, representing cable operators serving more than 90 percent of the nation's cable television households and more than 200 cable program networks. The cable industry is the nation’s largest broadband provider of high-speed Internet access after investing more than $130 billion over ten years to build a two-way interactive network with fiber optic technology. Cable companies also provide state-of-the-art digital telephone service to millions of American consumers.
Cable in the Classroom (CIC), the cable industry’s education foundation, works to expand and enhance learning opportunities for children and youth. Created in 1989 to help schools take advantage of educational cable programming and technology, CIC has become a leading national advocate for media literacy education and for the use of technology and media for learning, as well as a valuable resource for educational cable content and services for policymakers, educators and industry leaders. For more information about Cable in the Classroom, please visit: www.ciconline.org.