Contact: Tammy Lane • First Posted: Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Windstream Communications has donated 16 new Hewlett-Packard computers for the Tubby’s Clubhouse / Dell TechKnow afterschool program.

Van Florence, executive director of the Tubby Smith Foundation, and students from classes at the Kenwick Community Center and the Castlewood Community Center were on hand Tuesday afternoon at Kenwick.

“The community is involved,” Florence said. “(Sponsors) have bought into the idea of helping these children.”

The mission of the Tubby’s Clubhouse program is to close the technology gap and educate students in life skills. As participants in the Dell TechKnow program, kids take apart a computer, put it back together, install software and learn how to use it.

“It’s all individual attention, all hands-on,” said Ransom Holbrook, the instructor at Castlewood, who noted the program builds self-esteem and makes the kids aware of what they can do.

At the end of this semester, students will get to take home one of the new computers.

“As a communications company, Windstream applauds the hard work of those at Tubby’s Clubhouse to provide computer knowledge and technology skills to these young students in such a unique learning environment,” said Tim Williamson, area manager at Windstream, whose company donation was worth roughly $6,400.