It's their largest laptop giveaway ever!
Journalist Al Roker surprised Maryland's Principal of the Year and gifted students with free laptops, Black Enterprise reports.
Al Roker recently visited Maryland to catch an NFL game and give back to a local area school. The longtime weather forecaster visited Digital Harbor High School in Baltimore, helmed by Maryland's 2021 Principal of the Year, Taiisha Swinton-Buck. Roker surprised Buck and met with about 100 students, gifting the technology school with 1,400 laptops and a free year of internet access.
"I'm in disbelief, but I'm so grateful; I'm so humbled and especially blessed to have this opportunity with my students. For the world to see what great things are happening in Baltimore is inspiring for me to continue to do what I'm doing [at] Digital Harbor High School," Swinton-Buck said.
The principal has been recognized for her efforts, supporting her students' achievements academically and offering wraparound services in the school like an in-house barbershop that offers free cuts and a free resource room that supplies personal care and household items for students.
"If students' needs are not met in other places, that shows up in the classroom. I want to be able to bridge those gaps for students in any way that we need for them and their families so they can show up as their best selves," Swinton-Buck explained.
The donation was an extension of The Today Show's "Once in a Lifetime" series, shining a spotlight on those making a difference in cities that host the NFL on NBC. Comcast partnered with NBCUniversal to donate the laptops and internet service as a part of its Internet Essentials program, providing broadband internet services to eligible families to honor their billion-dollar commitment to digital equity.
"We were just thrilled to fan the flames of the education that these kids are getting," Roker said.
"We love our day job, but when we can come out and see the joy on the children's faces, this is just phenomenal," Comcast's Michael Parker added.
In addition to the 1,400 laptops donated to Digital Harbor High School, Comcast also plans to donate another 1,600 laptops to other Baltimore area school programs, making it the largest laptop giveaway in history.
Congratulations to Principal Swinton-Buck and all the Digital Harbor High students!
Photo Courtesy of The Today Show