Sparklight®, a member of the Cable One family of brands, recently awarded a $5,000 grant to Kennett Community Development Corporation through the company’s Charitable Giving Fund. Through this program, the company awarded more than $100,000 in grants during the winter of 2021 to 32 nonprofit organizations across its 24-state footprint.
Kennett Community Development Corporation, which promotes economic development and provides assistance to Kennett and the surrounding communities, received a grant from Sparklight to help beautify Kennett’s Downtown Courthouse Square.
“We’ve had a recent surge of new merchants and our downtown retail space is more vibrant than it has been in many years,” said Melissa Combs, Kennett Community Development Corporation Executive Director. “Beautifying the Downtown Courthouse Square will provide a more attractive space for visitors and improve the overall economic health of our businesses who greatly support our community. With funding from Sparklight, we’ll be able to focus on an extensive cleanup of the courtyard to the south of our Square as well as improve seasonal décor on the Square. We hope these aesthetic enhancements will encourage more Downtown events and the space will continue to be a place of relaxation for visitors.”
The Charitable Giving Fund annually awards more than $200,000 in grants to local 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations served by Sparklight and the other Cable One family of brands (Fidelity Communications, ValuNet Fiber, and Hargray), and concentrates support in the following priority areas:
- Education and Digital Literacy
- Food Insecurity
- Community Development
Nonprofit organizations will have the opportunity to apply for a grant during open application periods each spring and fall. Applications for spring 2022 grants will open between April 1 -30, 2022.
“Through our philanthropic initiatives and support of our local nonprofit organizations, we are helping to build strong and vibrant communities, improve quality of life, and make a positive difference in the cities and towns where we live and work,” said Julie Laulis, Cable One President and CEO.
The Charitable Giving Fund is an extension of the company’s existing corporate social responsibility efforts, which include:
- Chromebooks for Kids, an initiative in which the company donates Chromebooks to Title I schools across its footprint. To date, the company has donated more than 2,000 Chromebooks to help bridge the digital divide in schools that lack funding.
- Supporting national organizations dedicated to advancing racial equality, justice, education and diversity, including the Equal Justice Initiative, the Emma Bowen Foundation and the National Diversity Council.
- Supporting the mission of Special Olympics Arizona, which provides year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports, as well as health, arts, and leadership and advocacy programs for children and adults with intellectual disabilities.
- Planting trees through the Arbor Day Foundation on behalf of customers who switch to paperless billing. To date, the company has planted 120,000 trees in its markets and national forests.
- Supporting the mission of Keep America Beautiful in cleaning up and beautifying communities across the U.S.
For more information about Sparklight’s Charitable Giving Fund, visit www.sparklight.com/charitablegiving.