Cox Employees Raise $75,000 for Southern Arizona Nonprofits

The more than 260 local employees of Cox Communications announced that they have raised $75,000 and distributed those funds to 19 nonprofits serving Southern Arizona community champions focused on education, diversity, environment, and sustainability programs. Most of the funds come from employee-driven fundraisers and donations by the employees and their families.

This marks the 26^th year that Cox employees, through Cox Charities, have raised funds to help the communities in which they live and work.  Since 1996, Cox Arizona employees have raised $9.7 million and awarded grants to 1,719 across the state.

One Cox Charities grant recipient is Care 4 the Caregivers, a new nonprofit serving Southern Arizona with life coaching and licensed-therapist support groups for caregivers of children with disabilities. “We serve a community that is not served by anyone else,” said Executive Director Michele Knowlton-Thorne. “Parents, grandparents and other family members who provide care to children with disabilities are often unseen and unsupported. We’re on a mission to help them and we are so appreciative to Cox Charities for helping us do that.”

“I am immensely proud of our Cox employees who are great at their jobs and so committed to helping local nonprofits deliver vital services in our community,” said Lisa Lovallo, market VP of Cox Southern Arizona. “This year, the Arizona Cox employees raised nearly $40,000 more than last year for distribution in this 2022 grant cycle.”

Another Southern Arizona Cox Charities recipient is El Grupo Youth Cycling, a youth development organization that makes cycling a reality for children in-need who would otherwise not know the joy and convenience of riding a bike. The Cox Charities grant will support El Grupo’s Manzo Elementary Biking Club. After school, 20+ 3^rd through 5^th graders meet at the newly purchased El Grupo bike “shack” on the Manzo campus where dynamic coaches Juliana, David and Lisa offer up tutoring, teach bike skills, and then take the kids on rides through the neighborhood. “With the support of Cox Charities, we have an opportunity to offer tutoring in addition to teaching kids about a healthy lifestyle which in turn benefits them in school and life. Thank you Cox Charities!” said Jody Bartz, programs and operations manager.

19 Pima | Cochise area nonprofits received grants totaling $75,000:

TOTAL:                                                                                     $75,000

Yet another vital Southern Arizona nonprofit receiving a Cox Charities grant is MIKID which works to improve the behavioral health and wellness of children and families. In Tucson and Sierra Vista, the funds will help provide a dedicated educational computer workspace with Apple iPads to teach, support and prepare teens with employment readiness and job training skills. 

According to Patrick Winters, VP of marketing/development for MIKID, “The generous Cox Charities donation will benefit 300 children and families. For MIKID families and kiddos, this grant will provide technology to assist those in-need struggling with mental and behavioral health challenges, especially in rural areas of Sierra Vista and Tucson. The added technology will help bridge the gap in education equity in these underserved communities, helping K-12 youth be more competitive and ultimately have greater success in school.”