Cox Communications started long before cable television and broadband services. At the Oct. 16 Great Bend Chamber of Commerce Coffee, Cox representative Megan Bottenberg said the company was founded over 125 years ago as a family owned company started by Gov. James M. Cox from Ohio.
“He ran for president; FDR was his running mate. They lost. Their loss, our gain, because he came back and he started a newspaper business,” Bottenberg said.
Cox Communications has grown to become the largest private broadband provider in the United States. It has 800 employees throughout Kansas (and also serves 15 other states), and is dedicated to “everything from customer care to business solutions to marketing and digital solutions for your business, to just making sure we have fiber and ... reliable phone service and internet,” she said. “We really have small company, family owned company roots.”
Ten Cox employees live right here in Great Bend, she said.
The company’s commitment to its communities includes charitable giving.
“We give about $1 million across the entire state on an annual basis,” she said. In August, the employee-funded Cox Charities program gave $150,000 to 26 organizations across the state, including $3,900 to the Family Crisis Center in Great Bend.
“And we’re not done. We have $80,000 to give in education grants by December, again, out of our employees’ own pockets. We are thrilled to give money and grant funds to teachers in schools who want to enhance students’ lives and their education and learning.”
Local Cox cable subscribers can also watch Channel 22, focused on Kansas and its communities. The show Friday Night Lights featured Great Bend High School football last week.
Chamber Announcements
• The Velvet Bookmark is a new niche bookstore specializing in romance novels and located in The Beauty Bar, 1409 Main. It was started by Megan Barfield and Shelly Peacock. They’ll have coffee from Avast Ye Java and guests can make friendship bracelets this Saturday, Oct. 18, from 9 a.m. to noon.
• The Citywide Cleanup starts Saturday and runs through Oct. 26, hosted by the City of Great Bend in partnership with Sunflower Diversified Services. Metal, mattresses, appliances and more will be accepted from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunflower’s Recycling Center.
• The Family Crisis Center’s Fall Festival runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday in Jack Kilby Square.
• Essentials of Photo Editing class at Barton Community College will be Monday in the Technical Building T-171A, from 6-8 p.m.
• A Chamber After Hours will be hosted by Barton from 5-7 p.m. Tuesday at Camp Aldrich.
• Iron Therapy, 2319 Washington St., is taking registrations for an Identity Shift workshop from 6-7:30 p.m. Oct. 23.
• Kimberly Becker with Move Your Mountain Coaching and Consulting said her family has partnered with the hospital to create activity closets, starting with the Grin Bin on the pediatric side and the Bright Spot on the surgical/medical side. They hope to launch on Oct. 27. Donations are welcome at the Chamber office.
• The Chamber is taking nominations for with 104th Great Bend Chamber of Commerce Annual Awards in February. The deadline is Dec. 12.
• The next Chamber Coffee and ribbon cutting will be at 9 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 23, at Walnut Bowl to celebrate their remodel.
