Comcast NBCUniversal along with the Universal Orlando Foundation today announced it will donate $2 million to support relief and recovery efforts in Florida following the catastrophic flooding and devastating effects of Hurricane Ian. The commitment includes $1 million in cash and in-kind contributions to the Florida Disaster Fund with the remainder distributed among the Comcast NBCUniversal Employee Assistance Fund, United Way, Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida, Team Rubicon, and American Red Cross.
Universal Orlando is also donating food in partnership with local organizations. NBCUniversal, Telemundo, and NBC/Telemundo owned TV stations in Florida quickly launched a donation and awareness campaign to encourage contributions and support impacted communities.
“Our hearts go out to the people of Florida, including thousands of severely affected employees and customers, during this most challenging time,” said Christine Whitaker, Central Division President for Comcast Cable. “In this moment, having reliable Internet and mobile connectivity is critical. We are grateful for our teammates who are working around the clock alongside emergency personnel to rebuild and restore these vital connections for Floridian homes, businesses, and communities across the state.”
Local Comcast crews are out in the field repairing damaged fiber lines and setting up generators to power the critical infrastructure and equipment necessary to run the Xfinity network. Response teams, including technicians, maintenance specialists, and engineers from across 12 states, have also begun to deploy and help with restoration efforts in the most impacted areas.
Ahead of Hurricane Ian making landfall last week, Comcast opened its network of more than 200,000 Xfinity WiFi hotspots in Florida, Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina for anyone to use, including non-Xfinity customers, for free. Where commercial power and Xfinity services have been restored, these hotspots remain open to assist residents, businesses, and relief workers in staying connected. In addition, Xfinity has created an On Demand destination where customers can access the latest recovery and response news on X1 and Flex – simply say “Hurricane Ian” into the Xfinity Voice Remote.
“The sheer level of destruction on the ground is heartbreaking, and we hope our donation will aid in accelerating the immediate relief and rebuilding efforts,” said Dalila Wilson-Scott, Executive Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer of Comcast Corporation and President of the Comcast NBCUniversal Foundation. “This announcement of financial and additional resources is the next step in our ongoing commitment to help revive and strengthen the region.”
Through the Comcast NBCUniversal Employee Disaster Assistance Fund, the company is providing grants to team members in need as well as matching employee donations to eligible nonprofit disaster relief organizations through the Comcast NBCUniversal Matching Gift Program.
As relief and recovery efforts continue, updates on the company’s response can be found on the Comcast Florida website. For help and information, customers can chat online with an agent, visit Xfinity.com/response or connect with Comcast on Twitter at @xfinitysupport.