GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) – Randall Cobb teamed up with US Cellular to provide a new set of Chromebooks and headphones for kids at the Greater Green Bay Boys and Girls Club.
Cobb showed up to help deliver the new technology to kids at the west-side Boys and Girls Club on Tuesday. He harkened back to the days when he was just like the kids he was about to meet.
“I love kids and just being here today just reminds me of my time spent at the Boys and Girls Club as a kid,” Cobb said. “For as long as I can remember, probably all way up through middle school before I really got heavily into all sports and was playing sports year-round…This was an escape for me to be able to get out of my community and go to the boys and girls club and have a safe space to continue to learn and play and grow and just be a kid.”
Cobb says it’s heartwarming to see a company like US Cellular reaching out to the community.
“Depending on where you live, it is your access to things. What US Cellular is doing is a great job of reaching out to those kids and giving them access to maybe some technology they don’t have at home,” Cobb said. “So they can have access to the ability to get on the web and do the things they need to do to continue to study. Having that access is huge.”
“It’s going to make all the difference,” said Greater Green Bay Boys and Girls Club Program Development and Training Specialist, Hannah Shimek. “Once the pandemic hit, we noticed that the technology barrier was one of the biggest barriers that the kids not only in club, but in the community were facing…It’s just going to allow more kids to have access, more kids to get educational programming, and it’s just gonna make all the difference.”
Shimek says the 35 Chromebook and headphone sets will be at their front desk for kids to check out and utilize anywhere in the club.
“Go anywhere in club and have wireless access to do homework, educational programming, just be more beneficial in their school work, and have that access that maybe when they go home they might not get,” Shimek said. “Sometimes at school, they forget them in their locker or can’t have access to them all the time. So just having another spot where they know they will have wireless I think will will really help.”
“Being able to have access to taking them to different rooms, the teen room is a different part of building, so the teens to be able to come and check out some Chromebooks and take them to another room this is great for them,” Cobb added. “What I hope they give the kids get from this is just the gratitude, and just to be thankful that someone’s thinking of them and that someone’s pushing to help them succeed in life.”
Packers wide receiver Randall Cobb helps a student with math questions at the west-side Greater Green Bay Boys & Girls Club (PHOTO: WTAQ News)
Some kids were definitely excited about the new equipment – but maybe more so about meeting Cobb.
“I’m happy because we got Chromebooks and I think they look really cool.”
The kid who said that, also said he liked Cobb better than Davante Adams – but to not tell that to Davante.
While his friend said he was more of a Chicago Bears fan:
“The Chicago Bears are almost better than any football team!”
“When?” Cobb asked
“What?”
“When have the Bears been better?” Cobb laughed.
Just a quick check: The Packers are 45-19 against Chicago since 1990. The Bears last winning decade over Green Bay was in the 1980s.
Cobb also helped kids with their math assignments and took a student-guided tour of the facility.
The Greater Green Bay Boys and Girls Club currently serves about 100 kids across the city.
