As the Capital Region of New York began to reopen when the New York Pause was being lifted, AT&T collaborated with Albany County Executive Daniel P. McCoy, the Albany Police Athletic League and New York Giants NFL running back Dion Lewis to host an eight-week digital challenge to encourage teenagers to adhere to all the safety precautions to prevent spread COVID-19 in a campaign called #AlbanyCountyStaySafe Powered by AT&T. The digital public health and safety awareness campaign asks all younger residents of the county to take part in the weekly challenges on social media that help raise awareness of the importance of social distancing and wearing masks out in public, staying home as much as possible and, above all else, staying safe while still having fun.
“As regional economies begin to reopen, it’s important to remind people that we are not simply going back to business as usual. In order to keep people safe and healthy, we need to adapt to the new norm. That means we must continue to practice social distancing, wear face coverings, avoid mass gatherings and practice a level of self-isolation until we have a widely available vaccine,” said County Executive McCoy. “We know that even though teenagers aren’t the ones being hurt by COVID-19, they are still able to spread the virus. We also know they love their technology, and I’m thrilled to have a role model, athlete and Albany native like Dion Lewis helping us get more kids involved in these fun challenges. I want to thank AT&T, Albany PAL and Dion for being partners in this creative and smart effort that could ultimately save lives and move us forward through this crisis.”
AT&T’s collaboration in the #AlbanyCountyStaySafe initiative grows out of the Company’s commitment to delivering resources for distance learning across the county and New York during the global pandemic and providing first responders with a reliable, interoperable, and innovative wireless broadband network dedicated to public safety through FirstNet built by AT&T.
In addition to the support for this local digital educational program, the Company has created the AT&T Distance Learning and Family Connections Fund, a $10 million COVID-19 relief program launched to give parents, caregivers and teachers tools they need to help educate the estimated 47 million students learning from home in the U.S. The public safety focus of the digital initiative also aligns closely with the Company’s commitment to FirstNet, America’s safety communications platform, which provides 21st century tools to public safety agencies and has been an invaluable resource for first responders on the front lines fighting COVID-19, keeping them connected and safer as they protect Americans.
“AT&T has been connecting people for more than 100 years, which is why we are excited to be a part of this innovative effort.”
Kristin Duffy – Director, AT&T External Affairs
“AT&T is proud to collaborate with Albany County, the Albany Police Athletic League and Dion to offer the #AlbanyCountyStaySafe program and its critical public safety messages to help keep the community safe as the warmer weather approaches and the county nears opening,” said Kristin Duffy, Director of External Affairs, AT&T. “I commend County Executive McCoy for his leadership throughout this crisis, and his ongoing work to promote the best practices necessary to halt the spread of COVID-19. AT&T has been connecting people for more than 100 years, which is why we are excited to be a part of this innovative effort to keep thousands of County youth engaged, educated, safe and, most of all, digitally connected in fun and enjoyable ways while maintaining social distancing and staying home.”
