GCI named 2024 Gold Pan Award winner for community service
ANCHORAGE, Alaska – GCI, Alaska’s largest telecommunications company, was honored recently for its commitment to community service by the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce. The company was awarded the Chamber’s 2024 Gold Pan Award for Community Service by a large business for demonstrating outstanding community service, creativity, excellence and significantly improving the city of Anchorage by achieving success in its business through growth and quality performance.
“It’s an honor for GCI to be recognized by the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce for our commitment to Alaskans,” said GCI Chief Marketing Officer Kate Slyker. “GCI has been connecting Alaskans for more than 40 years and is deeply rooted in a strong culture of philanthropy as we work to create meaningful community connections.”
GCI donates $2 million each year in cash, services, products and grants to Alaska nonprofits. Through its corporate philanthropy program, GCI Gives, the company supports more than 100 nonprofit organizations in Alaska each year. GCI also provides its employees with 16 hours of paid leave each year to volunteer with local organizations.
“GCI actively engages in philanthropic endeavors focused on supporting local nonprofits dedicated to cultural arts and innovation, education, healthy communities, youth, animals, diversity and inclusion, and public safety,” said Slyker. “We’re always looking for innovative programs and organizations that align with GCI’s core values as we work to build a brighter and more connected future for all Alaskans.”
Among the programs supported by GCI is the Alaska Center for the Performing Arts’ Broadway Alaska series. GCI’s sponsorship of the program has included cash donations and connectivity. GCI has also donated tech, like iPads, to help with sales of the shows and production needs.
To further its sponsorship of Broadway Alaska, GCI also collaborated with the Alaska Center for the Performing Arts to host three Zoom webinars during season one that brought Alaska classrooms Backstage with Broadway Alaska. The webinars were open to all schools as well as home schools with a particular emphasis on exposing students to the Broadway arts and sharing career paths in the arts that go beyond the stage.
“By bringing Broadway to Town Square, the city of Anchorage sees an economic bump with the audience planning an evening out downtown that could include meals at local restaurants, utilizing shuttle services and transportation, and more,” said Slyker. “We know the arts play an important role in education by fostering creativity, critical thinking, and emotional intelligence. By bringing educators and students backstage, GCI and the ACPA helps provide educators an additional resource to share career opportunities with students.”
GCI has teamed up with ACPA and the cast and crew of the upcoming Broadway Alaska show “Mean Girls” to create interactive video resources for educators to guide lessons around the performing arts and the themes of kindness, friendship, bullying, and confidence in “Mean Girls.” These resources are designed to help you lead engaging discussions and activities that resonate with students, and they will be available on Dec. 6. Educators can pre-register today to receive the educational videos to use in the classroom.
GCI has been connecting Alaskans for more than 40 years, starting in 1979 when Founder and CEO Ron Duncan teamed up with Bob Walp to start the business in a garage in Bootlegger’s Cove to provide Alaskans better options in long-distance telephone services. Forty-five years and $4.7 billion in investments later, GCI employs more than 1,800 employees and provides telecom services across Alaska, even to the most remote regions.
For more information about GCI Gives, visit https://www.gci.com/why-gci/gcigives.
About GCI
Headquartered in Alaska, GCI provides data, mobile, video, voice and managed services to consumer, business, government, and carrier customers throughout Alaska, serving more than 200 communities. The company has invested more than $4 billion in its Alaska network and facilities over the past 40 years and recently launched true standards-based 5G NR service in Anchorage, now the nation’s northernmost 5G service area. Learn more about GCI at www.gci.com. GCI is a wholly owned subsidiary of Liberty Broadband Corporation (Nasdaq: LBRDA, LBRDK, LBRDP). Learn more about Liberty Broadband at http://www.libertybroadband.com.