T-Mobile bestows $10K grants each to 3 P.R. nonprofits
On the two-year anniversary of Hurricane María’s devastating path through Puerto Rico, wireless carrier T-Mobile announced the first round of its T-Mobile Foundation Regional Grants for Puerto Rico, granting $10,000 each to Para la Naturaleza, Extra Bases Foundation and the Special Olympics.
Since the hurricane devastated the island, T-Mobile has spared no expense to rebuild its network and double-down on efforts to strengthen Puerto Rico and its communities with the intention of turning the island into a center of innovation and technology, General Manager Jorge Martel said.
The grants mark T-Mobile’s ongoing efforts to rebuild for the future in the areas of environment, youth development and inclusion.
“Two years after María hit Puerto Rico and having completed the deployment of our 600 MHz LTE network of extended range in areas of the 78 municipalities of the island, today we want to reaffirm our commitment to Puerto Rico and its communities,” said Martel.
“We’re laying the foundations for a 5G network for all, not only for areas of high urban density, but for rural areas as well,”said Martel during a news conference during which he was flanked by Carlos Delgado, president of Extra Bases Foundation, Awilda Muñiz, coordinator of AMIGOS from Para la Naturaleza and José Barea, president of Special Olympics Puerto Rico chapter.
“I’m sure that being able to have a first-class infrastructure and the most advanced technology will strengthen the mission of these organizations,” Martel said.
T-Mobile’s contribution to Para La Naturaleza will help the entity achieve its goal of protecting 33% of Puerto Rico’s natural ecosystems by 2033. The grant to Extra Bases, an organization that T-Mobile has been collaborating with for more than 10 years, will support sports programs in rural areas throughout the island.
“Today I feel very happy and grateful with this donation. Now, more than ever, these contributions help us continue to rebuild our island and provide better quality of life to the most affected groups,” said Delgado.
Meanwhile, the alliance with Special Olympics Puerto Rico will strengthen the entity’s programs and the participation of its athletes in sporting events, in and outside of Puerto Rico, while fulfilling T-Mobile’s mission to support inclusion and diversity, the company stated.
“T-Mobile has been our ally and it is with great joy that we receive this contribution allowing us to continue giving recognition to these athletes that deserve so much. They deserve the same opportunities we all have,” said Barea.
Over the past few days, T-Mobile has been leading a series of community activities to continue demonstrating its commitment to Puerto Rico and its people.
Last Friday, students in 10th through 12th grade at Juan Ponce de León High School in the Juan Domingo neighborhood in Guaynabo, visited T-Mobile’s business office with the purpose of inspiring a new generation of leaders toward their professional future.
In addition to this, a large group of company employees, with volunteers from Para La Naturaleza, participated in reforestation and cleaning activities at the P.E.C.E.S entity in Humacao and La Marina community in Naranjito. On Sept. 20, they will visit the Villa Calma community in Toa Baja to rehabilitate a community center in that town.
“By rebuilding our network and empowering our communities, Puerto Rico grows stronger,” Martel concluded.
