Donation And Distribution Of 7,000 New Coats Through United Way
03/06/07 -- PRweb - EAST WINDSOR, N.J.
— A fleet of Comcast Cable trucks, loaded with almost 7,000 new coats, departed
Jersey City, NJ earlier today to distribute the coats to New Jersey residents in
need through United Way and its designated charities throughout the state. The
donation was a result of Comcast Cable of New Jersey's February "Bundle Up &
Share the Warmth" campaign, in which the company pledged to donate a new coat
for every Triple Play bundle order placed in February, and to match coat
donations made by customers and employees through drop boxes placed in Comcast
payment centers and select Burlington Coat Factory retail locations throughout
the state. Burlington Coat Factory joined the campaign mid-month, volunteering
to donate almost half of the coats.
New Jersey Assemblyman Vincent Prieto, 32nd District, and Jersey City Ward A
Councilman Michael Sottolano attended the gathering where the total was
announced by Greg Arnold, regional senior vice president, Comcast Cable New
Jersey. They then joined Wendy Siskind, vice president of marketing, Burlington
Coat Factory; Dan Altilio, president and CPO, United Way New Jersey; and dozens
of employees and volunteers from United Way and its local charities to help
sort, load and begin distribution of the coats.
"The creativity and commitment of companies like Comcast and Burlington Coat
Factory is demonstration of the power of public-private partnerships and the
impact they can have on our communities," said Assemblyman Prieto.
"It was extremely moving to see employees, on one of the coldest days of the
year, outside volunteering to sort and load the coats," said Councilman
Sottolano. "It is clear that this campaign resonated with all involved and I was
proud to see these employees working so hard to help the less fortunate stay
warmer during this harsh weather."
From February 1 through February 28, Comcast tracked all new Triple Play bundle
sales, matching the total with new coats. The Triple Play bundle is available to
new customers and includes Digital Cable with ON DEMAND, Comcast High Speed
Internet and Comcast Digital Voice for $33 each per month for 12 months.
Additionally, the company matched new and gently worn coats donated by employees
and customers, for a total of 7,000 coats in both children's and adult sizes.
All coats were distributed throughout the more than 300 communities Comcast
serves in New Jersey by a fleet of Comcast Cable trucks and employee volunteers.
"Comcast has always been dedicated to investing in and enriching the communities
in which we live and work," said Greg Arnold. "Our 'Bundle up and Share the
Warmth' campaign gave our customers and employees an easy and rewarding way to
give back to our local communities and to remember and help our fellow New
Jersey citizens in need."
"We are so appreciative of the contributions that Comcast, Burlington Coat
Factory and their employees have made to United Way," said Dan Altilio of United
Way. "Collecting coats for the homeless is absolutely critical and the 7,000
coats that were announced and distributed today will help ensure that our local
charities can help people in need throughout the state."
Both Burlington Coat Factory and Comcast are active members of their New Jersey
communities. Comcast Cable employs more than 4,650 people in New Jersey, and
earlier this year announced that it will hire an additional 750 employees in
2007. Its New Jersey Region contributes more than $2 million annually through
hundreds of local partnerships, grants and free wiring of more than 2,000
schools and libraries in New Jersey. Last year, more than 800 Comcast New Jersey
employees and their friends and family members donated more than 4,000 hours of
volunteer service through 18 projects throughout the state as part of its annual
Comcast Cares Day volunteer service initiative.
Burlington Coat Factory participates annually in the Leukemia & Lymphoma
Society's Light the Night walk. Through its employees and customers nationwide,
the Company has raised nearly $2.3 million dollars to date. In addition,
Burlington Coat Factory offers free, community service programs such as Project
Checkpoint(TM) (child passenger safety seat inspections) and Breakfast at Baby
Depot to customers throughout the country.
About Comcast
Headquartered in Philadelphia, Comcast Cable is a division of Comcast
Corporation, the nation's leading provider of cable, entertainment and
communications products and services. With 24.1 million cable customers, 11
million high-speed Internet customers and 2.1 million digital voice customers,
Comcast is principally involved in the development, management and operation of
broadband cable networks and in the delivery of programming content.
Comcast Cable New Jersey is part of Comcast's Eastern Division which currently
serves more than 5.4 million customers along the New York to DC corridor,
including New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Washington, DC, Virginia
and North Carolina. The Eastern Division also founded and manages CN8, The
Comcast Network, one of the nation's largest and most honored regional 24-hour
diversified television networks, seen by more than nine million homes on the
East Coast. The Eastern Division is based in Oaks, Pennsylvania.
About Burlington Coat Factory
Burlington Coat Factory Warehouse Corporation is one of America's most
successful retailers. Headquartered in Burlington, New Jersey, the Company owns
and operates more than 360 stores nationwide. Burlington Coat Factory can be
found online at www.burlingtoncoatfactory.com.
