Comcast employees help spruce up Boys & Girls Club

By Sarah Morton Taggart | [email protected]

There was only one reported casualty at the Comcast Cares service day at the Midvale Boys & Girls Club — a cell phone dropped in a pan of paint. Luckily for the owner, the phone landed face up “and she likes the color,” said Steve Proper, senior director of Government Affairs at Comcast. Proper was painting a nearby wall when the accident happened.

More than 50 volunteers arrived at the Midvale Boys & Girls Club at 7631 S. Chapel Street on April 27 as part of the Comcast Cares service day program, now in its 18th year. However, this was the first time Comcast Cares has served the Midvale Club.

The volunteers, including Comcast employees and their families as well as staff and volunteers from the Boys & Girls Club, went to work cleaning and painting the interior of the building.

The Club’s staff selected the colors to be used — a bright shade of turquoise — and Comcast purchased the necessary supplies. 

“It’ll be fun on Monday when the school kids come and see,” said Machelle Lake, senior development officer at the Boys & Girls Club. “It’s fun for me to watch as the staff makes the space their own. And this is great timing, because we’re just heading into the summer programming.”

A daily average of 175 youth participate in programs at the Club during the school year, and that number increases to 250 during the summer.

Two of Lake’s children have been going to the Murray Boys & Girls Club for nearly a decade. “I love what the Clubs do for kids,” Lake said. “As a club parent, I truly see the impact the club has on my kids. The confidence they have, it doesn’t just come from me.”

Prior to painting, volunteers gave the building a scrub down. The Club has janitorial services and the staff regularly cleans, but grime can quickly build up with so many kids using the building. 

“I’m always amazed by all the places their little fingerprints turn up,” Lake said. 

In addition to the services provided by the volunteers, Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Salt Lake will also receive a financial contribution from Comcast that can be used to further their mission or make additional improvements. In 2018, Comcast provided $2.1 million worth of support in cash and in-kind donations to Utah organizations. 

Comcast employees can nominate nonprofit organizations, schools and cities to be future project sites. This year 22 projects happened in Salt Lake County as part of Comcast Cares Days. But Lake believes that Midvale’s event was the only one to conclude with a performance by students at the local School of Rock.

“The kids are always looking for a chance to perform, and it gives the volunteers a chance to hang out and listen to music,” Lake said.

The youth played classic rock tunes while the volunteers relaxed and ate a lunch provided by Sizzling Platter through a partnership with Dunkin’ Donuts and Little Caesars Pizza.

“Comcast Cares Day is a very special part of our commitment to investing in local communities, but is just one example of our dedication to helping our communities thrive,” said Deneiva Knight, an external affairs director at Comcast. “Our employees give their time year-round to make a positive difference through serving on nonprofit boards, mobilizing disaster recovery efforts, mentoring children and more.”