Cable Takes Me There: The Cable Show '09 | April 1-3 | Washington Convention Center | Washington DC

Cable Show News Releases

For Immediate Release 4/16/2009
Contacts: Joy Sims, NCTA, 202-222-2350; Brian Dietz, NCTA, 202-222-2350

CableCares Effort Benefits Schools/Charities In Washington, DC

More than 225 Volunteers and $150,000 in Donations Led Successful Community Service Initiative During The Cable Show ’09

WASHINGTON, DC – More than $150,000 in cash, equipment, books and in-kind donations was raised as part of CableCares, the cable industry’s community service initiative to help improve Washington, DC schools and assist local charities during The Cable Show '09. The National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA) estimates that more than 225 volunteers from cable industry companies, organizations, and associations contributed their time to volunteer on behalf of the several CableCares activities.

CableCares coincided with The Cable Show '09, NCTA’s 58th Annual Convention and International Exposition, held in Washington April 1 - 3, 2009.

"In the second year of CableCares, the program was again successful in giving back to a great city and great host of The Cable Show," said NCTA President & CEO Kyle McSlarrow. "We’re thankful for the volunteers who generously offered their time to lend a hand, and for the companies and organizations who once again stepped up to contribute to make a lasting difference for this great city. We are also very pleased to present a $95,000 donation to City Year Washington DC for their work in the city’s schools and their great program with young adults and community service."

"I applaud the cable industry’s community service work focused on our public schools they performed while in Washington for their conference," said Washington, D.C. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty. "The CableCares program is a great way to give back to the community and we welcome such service efforts here in the District."

"City Year Washington, DC is very thankful for the opportunity to have worked with CableCares volunteers to beautify Truesdell Educational Center on April 1st," said Jeff Franco, Executive Director, City Year Washington DC. "The support of CableCares, both through the work of the amazing volunteers and the extremely generous financial donation will enable City Year to improve the school learning environments and provide mentors and tutors for more DC students."

Projects and results for 2009’s CableCares program included:

  • Truesdell Educational Campus: CableCares, Comcast, TV One, Retirement Living TV, Pure Integration and non-profit City Year built a new media center for the middle school students at the Truesdell Educational Campus, a pre-K through 7th grade public school. In addition, volunteers also built and installed baseball field benches and a new sign for the school front; and painted walls and murals throughout the three-story building. Educational books, videos and new furniture were also donated to the new media center.
  • School Donations: A Promethean board, school supplies, food, sports equipment, new furniture and music instruments, were donated by companies and individuals for distribution to 21 Washington, DC public schools. The Promethean board and new furniture were part of the display used in Broadband Nation on the exhibit floor. ESPN donated sports equipment that was distributed to 15 DC public schools. The Gospel Music Channel (GMC) provided more than 800 families of students at the Hart Middle School and Simon Elementary School one week’s worth of food, and donated school supplies and music instruments to four DC public schools.
  • Book Drive: With the generous support from The Walter Kaitz Foundation, Pure Integration, VCI, ESPN, Ubee Interactive, History Channel, qubo, Discovery Education and The Cable Show attendees, CableCares donated over 1,300 new, educational books and DVD’s to local DC public schools and media centers.
  • The Sportsman Channel (TSC) and volunteers served over 150 meals at the Central Union Mission and donated over 80 pounds of food to the shelter as part of their Hunt.Fish.Feed. initiative. Through cash donations, TSC donated 7,500 meals to the Capital Area Food Bank, the largest, public non-profit hunger and nutrition education resource in the Washington, DC Metropolitan Area.
  • Cable Positive, the cable industry’s AIDS action organization, and CableCares volunteers helped renovate the Metro TeenAIDS center’s basement and lend much needed administrative support. At Food and Friends, a non-profit kitchen and pantry service for homebound patients suffering from life threatening illnesses, CableCares volunteers helped prepare, package and deliver meals to chronically ill, homebound individuals.
  • Room To Care: The Cable Channel’s Steve Nelson and the local Washington, DC hotel community donated $1 for every room carrying The Cable Channel – the in-room video news magazine service focusing on convention coverage and cable issues – during The Cable Show '09. A total of $6,500 was raised and donated to CableCares initiatives.

Battle of the Bands

The Cable Show '09 officially wrapped with the second installment of the Battle of the Bands charity fundraising concert. The event, which featured acts from cable companies and the media, celebrity host and judges, and a special headline performance, raised funds for CableCares through sponsorships, donations, and ticket sales. Five bands competed for best of show with proceeds going to City Year Washington, DC.

  • An audience of more than 700 participants cast over 1,200 text message votes for their favorite band, while a panel of celebrity judges offered their ratings and opinions.
  • For the second year in a row, Cox Communications’ Xpanded Bandwidth grabbed the winning title by a close margin, thanks to high volume text voting. Hometown 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.

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