WASHINGTON, D.C. – More than $225,000 in cash, equipment, and in-kind donations was raised as part of CableCares, the cable industry’s community service initiative to help Los Angeles youth and local charities during The Cable Show 2010.  In addition, more than 245 volunteers from cable industry companies, organizations, and associations contributed their time to volunteer for CableCares activities.

CableCares is designed to enable the cable industry to provide a valuable community service each year to the host community for The Cable Show.  Since the time of its inception in 2008, the initiative has raised almost $1.3 million in-kind donations, equipment and financial contributions.  This year’s CableCares activities coincided with The Cable Show 2010, the National Cable & Telecommunication Association’s 59th Annual Convention and International Exposition, held in Los Angeles May 11 – 13, 2010.

“While The Cable Show 2010 was in Los Angeles for only a few days, we left behind something of value for the area – thanks to the generosity of the participating companies and their employees,” said The Cable Show co-chair Glenn Britt, Chairman, President and CEO of Time Warner Cable.  “We’re proud of the generous contributions, both financially and in hands-on volunteer support, to programs such as A Place Called Home, which plays such an important role in the community.”

“Once again, the cable industry stepped forward with generous financial assistance and volunteers to give back to The Cable Show's host city,” said The Cable Show co-chair, Matthew C. Blank, Chairman and CEO of Showtime Networks Inc.  “We’re grateful for the volunteers who gave of their time, and the many companies that contributed to leave a lasting donation for the city of Los Angeles.”

Projects and results for 2010’s CableCares program included:

  • A Place Called Home: More than 800 hours of hands-on volunteer support, in-kind donations and financial assistance were provided to this South Los Angeles youth center.  Donations included:
    • CableCares will be sponsoring 18 children for one year to attend the center’s “Bridge to the Future” program through a generous financial donation to this dynamic youth center providing educational enrichment to local youth.  These children will be the first in their family to attend college.
    • Difference Makers International (DMI) donated a one-day workshop, “Giving Kids A Voice for Positive Social Change,” through DMI’s powerful acknowledgment program.
    • Intel Corporation donated 20 Mac laptop computers with Microsoft providing MacOffice software on the machines.
    • GolTV gave 100 soccer balls;
    • ESPN donated several new basketball rims and wall pads, soccer nets and 100 yoga mats;
    • VCI provided art supplies;
    • SiTV donated furniture; and
    • Cisco donated two Flip Video cameras.
  • Battle of the Bands: As the primary funding mechanism for CableCares, the cable industry’s annual talent competition raised money through sponsorships, donations, and ticket sales as industry bands competed for bragging rights and the coveted first-place trophy.  Celebrity judges and emcee were provided courtesy of TVOne, The Band From TV, and Fuse.  This year’s sponsors, led by Platinum Sponsor, Cisco included: Motorola, Time Warner Cable, Showtime, Advanced Digital Broadband, ECI Telcom, SiTV, Disney/ABC Television Group, OpenTV, CSG Systems, AMDOCS, ARRIS, and VCI Solutions.  Attendees also gave directly to the cause throughout the concert.  Money raised will be used to help fund the ongoing work at A Place Called Home.
    • An audience of more than 1,000 casted text message votes for their favorite band, while a panel of celebrity judges offered their ratings and opinions.
    • For the third year in a row, Cox Communications’ Xpanded Bandwidth grabbed the winning title by a close margin while long time favorites, The TV Rejects, made up of employees from C-SPAN, Retirement Living TV, CableFAX and Broadband Gear Report, took home the second place prize.  Juniper Network’s Full Mesh came in a very close third. 
  • School and Los Angeles Community Donations:  With the ability to disburse some of the contents of the popular My World Cable Show exhibit at the Los Angeles Convention Center, CableCares was able to donate furniture and household items to the local Los Angeles community.  In addition, a Promethean Board was donated to Gompers Middle School – one of Los Angeles Mayor Villaraigosa’s “partnership” schools in South Los Angeles.

  • Hunt.Fish.Feed.: The Sportsman Channel donated 280 pounds of meat to the homeless, and volunteers served 1,000 meals to men, women and children as part of its Hunt.Fish.Feed. initiative.

For more information on The Cable Show and CableCares efforts, visit www.thecableshow.com.

# # #