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November 16, 2020 | Authored By
There’s nothing quite like the holiday season, especially in New York City.
Every winter, my mom and I would fly from Chicago to New York to visit the rest of our family for the holidays. To this day, I get chills when I walk past the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree, even though I’m lucky enough to work across the street. I still feel that awe when the Snoopy balloon comes barreling down 34th Street, and I’ve loved sharing the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade tradition with my own kids. But when I look back, I realize it’s not about any one moment or spectacle. I love this time of year because no matter where I was — sharing a meal at the dinner table, sitting around the television, or standing out in the bitter cold — I was surrounded by cousins, aunts and uncles, and grandparents. While everyone has different family structures and traditions, spending time with the people we love can make the holidays special.
For some of us, coming together might prove to be more challenging this year. For others, this might be the first holiday without a loved one. And with millions of Americans still enduring economic hardships, some families will need extra support. No matter the situation, this holiday season will be unlike the ones we remember. But what we do know is that many people will be looking for something to celebrate — a bright spot amidst a difficult year.
That’s why the NBCUniversal family is coming together to support families through a platform-wide campaign. On November 16th, we’re launching Family is Universal — our first-ever Symphony for Good — alongside Walmart, Verizon, and Progressive. In support of Feeding America® and No Kid Hungry, this campaign will bring fans together around marquee holiday events and new programming. Each of our partners are key members in their communities, and we are very thankful for their participation. In every way, we will work to provide a sense of comfort and celebrate family, while addressing the challenges that our neighbors are facing and also helping to raise money for people in need.
With Family is Universal, we’re transforming our entire platform into a force for good by activating every single marketing lever we have — across all our networks, digital, and social — to support families across the country when it matters most.
Here’s a quick glimpse of what families can expect from Family is Universal:
- Brand-new holiday content from your favorite NBCUniversal stars;
- All of NBCUniversal’s signature holiday events, including the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, Christmas in Rockefeller Center, the National Dog Show, and Football Night in America on Thanksgiving;
- A limited-interruption Top Chef marathon on Thanksgiving morning to help bring families together in the kitchen;
- A special virtual celebration with viewers across the nation on Telemundo‘s Un Nuevo Día featuring hosts Adamari López, Stephanie Himonidis, a celebrity chef and special guests;
- A profile on TODAY highlighting a person who has made a difference in their local community;
- With help from Walmart, Verizon, and Progressive, a combined total of $600K will be donated to Feeding America® and No Kid Hungry.
For generations, NBCUniversal has been part of entertaining and representing families of all kinds throughout the holidays. We are so honored that families include us in their holiday celebrations year after year, and we want to do our part to help. By scaling our efforts across the entire platform, we hope this Symphony for Good will make a difference for families and become a new centerpiece in future holiday traditions. Because at NBCUniversal, our fans are our family — and to us, family is always universal.
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