Community Investment, Digital Equity, Employee Spotlight

Comcast: Invested in Sarasota County

November 12, 2024

As Florida’s technology leader, Comcast’s presence in the Sunshine State spans from Key West through the Panhandle. The company’s commitment to the community is deep and can be traced back for decades. With the goal of creating unlimited possibilities for all, Comcast continues to connect Floridians to opportunity by investing in nonprofit organizations, trusted partners and new technologies.

Take Sarasota County for example. Justin Damiano, Government & Regulatory Affairs Director, helps oversee the company’s outreach efforts in the area. He said Comcast’s investment in Sarasota County is extremely important for the future of its communities and the customers we serve.

“When Dan Aaron opened one of Comcast’s first cable offices in Sarasota more than 50 years ago, he taught us that business was much bigger than dollars and cents,” said Justin Damiano, Comcast’s Director of Government Affairs in Southwest Florida. “Community engagement and investment is an integral part of our company DNA. Sarasota, where Mr. Aaron and his wife Geraldine spent winters, was particularly important to him and that culture of giving back is more relevant than ever today.”

Damiano said consider this when thinking about Comcast’s impact in Sarasota County. Of over 32,000 statewide employees, more than 450 call Sarasota County home. Comcast’s state-of-the-art network includes more than 3,700 miles of lines. It powers more than 120,000 Xfinity WiFi hotspots and provides an Internet connection with 99.9% reliability.

Since 2010, Comcast has contributed over $12 million in cash and in-kind donations to different non-profits, community events, sponsorships and other initiatives. Additionally, the company has connected more than 18,000 low-income residents since 2011 through its Internet Essentials program.

Comcast and its employees continue to give back across Sarasota County. Just recently, the tech leader stood up an event at the Selby Library in downtown Sarasota to bring much needed resources to the community impacted by Hurricane Milton. As part of the recovery efforts, Comcast partnered with local vendors to provide free meals, Internet access and much more.