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Comcast NBCUniversal, Boys & Girls Clubs of America Partner to Give Youth inside Look at the Excitement, Technology of NASCAR XFINITY Series Races
[February 26, 2015]

Comcast NBCUniversal, Boys & Girls Clubs of America Partner to Give Youth inside Look at the Excitement, Technology of NASCAR XFINITY Series Races


Comcast NBCUniversal is partnering with Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) to offer 60 Club youth across the country an opportunity to experience the behind-the-scenes excitement of a NASCAR XFINITY Series race and the technology that fuels a national series event.

The program launches February 28 when Club youth of the Paulding County Boys & Girls Club, in metro Atlanta, visit the Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, GA. Similar events across the country will send local Club participants to NASCAR XFINITY Series races in Fontana, CA (News - Alert); Loudon, NH; Joliet, IL; Dover, DE; and Fort Worth, TX throughout the year.

This unique experience is possible through a partnership Comcast (News - Alert) established with NASCAR in 2014 to be the official entertainment provider of NASCAR and the title sponsor of the NASCAR XFINITY Series. As part of the experience at each race, the youth participants will receive tickets and credentials to the event, a garage and pit tour, and a meet and greet with drivers before the race. At most of the races, Club youth will also tour the XFINITY Zone, a 6,500 square foot fan engagement area that includes an "innovation station" and highlights some of the technology that goes into a race car. The youth will also receive an up-close look at the NASCAR XFINITY Series trophy and the "Driver's Den" section, designed by the drivers themselves to provide fans an insider's look at what the ultimate entertainment experience would consist of for the biggest names in the sport.

As part of a larger effort to interest Club youth in technology and related career opportunities, participants will also get an up-close look at NASCAR technology throughout the garage, including a visit to NASCAR's technical inspection station where they will get a behind-the-scenes look at how each race car is analyzed by NASCAR Officials via laser inspection before each race.

"It's invaluable for our Boys & Girls Club youth to experience technology and innovation in action in the real world. Seeing how these skills apply to sports, like NASCAR, is a great way to light that excitement in fields where STEMis a major component," said Dr. Damon A. Williams, chief educational & youth development officer for Boys & Girls Clubs of America. "We thank our amazing partner, Comcast NBCUniversal, for providing opportunities like these, along with our My.Future initiative, to so many Club kids. These experiences can be life-changing for youth as we look to inspire and enable them to be 21st century leaders, creators and innovators."



"We are pleased to provide Boys & Girls Clubs youth a chance to experience the behind-the-scenes excitement of a NASCAR XFINITY Series race, and a look at the technology that goes into creating such an event," said Charisse R. Lillie, Vice President of Community Investment for Comcast Corporation and President of the Comcast Foundation. "Through this program and other My.Future initiatives, we hope to build interest in our digital world and get kids passionate about the endless possibilities that technology offers."

Club youth chosen to attend each race participate in their club's My.Future program, demonstrate an interest in technology and engineering, and are viewed as leaders in their Club with a commitment to academics and community service.


This program stems from Comcast NBCUniversal's longstanding partnership with BGCA. Comcast has supported local Boys & Girls Clubs for nearly 15 years, providing approximately $90 million in cash and in-kind contributions since 2009. Late last year, Comcast NBCUniversal announced a new, five-year agreement with BGCA valued at tens of millions of dollars, making BGCA Comcast's largest community partner. At the center of that agreement is a new technology education initiative, called My.Future, which is designed to open the eyes of young people to what's possible for them to achieve through technology.

After the program launches in Atlanta, GA, similar experiences will occur at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, CA on March 21; at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, NH on July 18; at the Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, IL on September 19; at the Dover International Speedway in Dover, DE on October 3; and at the Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, TX on November 7.

Earlier this year, as part of the My.Future program and providing youth who have demonstrated exceptional leadership at their local clubs with unique experiences that are related to Comcast's businesses, Comcast NBCUniversal surprised one Boys & Girls Club youth with behind-the-scenes access to the 2015 Super Bowl in Glendale, AZ, where he experienced the game through the lens of NBC broadcasting and Global Spectrum (News - Alert), a subsidiary of Comcast-Spectacor, which manages the University of Phoenix Stadium.

About Comcast Corporation

Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK) is a global media and technology company with two primary businesses, Comcast Cable and NBCUniversal. Comcast Cable is the nation's largest video, high-speed Internet and phone provider to residential customers under the XFINITY brand and also provides these services to businesses. NBCUniversal operates news, entertainment and sports cable networks, the NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks, television production operations, television station groups, Universal Pictures and Universal Parks and Resorts. Visit www.comcastcorporation.com for more information.

About Boys & Girls Clubs of America

For more than 100 years, Boys & Girls Clubs of America (GreatFutures.org) has enabled young people most in need to achieve great futures as productive, caring, responsible citizens. Today, more than 4,100 Clubs serve nearly 4 million young people annually through Club membership and community outreach. Clubs are located in cities, towns, public housing and on Native lands throughout the country, and serve military families in BGCA-affiliated Youth Centers on U.S. military installations worldwide. They provide a safe place, caring adult mentors, fun, friendship, and high-impact youth development programs on a daily basis during critical non-school hours. Priority programs emphasize academic success, good character and citizenship, and healthy lifestyles. In a Harris Survey of alumni, 57 percent said the Club saved their lives. National headquarters are located in Atlanta. Learn more at http://www.bgca.org/facebook and http://bgca.org/twitter.


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