Federal Way Nonprofit Partners with Comcast to Hosts ‘Minions & Monsters’ Event
Jul 8, 2026, 8:59 AM
South Sound Business
Originally published on South Sound Business.
Comcast NBCUniversal and El Centro de la Raza hosted a free community event for South Sound families on July 2 at the Xfinity retail store in Federal Way.
The evening event was Minions-themed and had face painting, giveaways, and interactive mobile phone activities before a complimentary screening of the new Universal family film “Minions & Monsters.”
The program marked the latest collaboration between Comcast and El Centro de la Raza after Comcast’s $350,000 investment to support the opening of a new Lift Zone computer lab in Federal Way. The Lift Zone is designed to help local families build digital skills and give them more access to technology.
“Think of it as a digital computer lab that teaches families digital skills for life, to do better in school, to get a job, etc.,” said Andy Colley, senior director of external communications for Comcast NBCUniversal.
Colley added, “Nonprofits like El Centro de la Raza have people called digital navigators, which take that Wi-Fi connectivity and all the computers and hardware we’ve put in their facility and use that to teach people how to get on the internet and how to use that to better their lives.”
Comcast has more than 100 Lift Zones throughout Oregon and Washington at Boys and Girls Clubs, Easterseals, and YWCA locations, and has more than 1,250 nationwide. The initiative is part of Project Up, Comcast’s $1-billion commitment to help families access technology after schools had temporarily been shut down during the pandemic.
The Minions event also introduced Xfinity’s Same-Day Wi-Fi, a brand-new option for customers where they can sign up, get their Xfinity Gateway, go home, plug in, complete a few clicks of activation, and be on the internet the very same day. Previously, customers had had to schedule a technician to come over and get them online.
“The hope for the event is to highlight the partnership we have with El Centro de la Raza,” said Olivier Hoang, retail market manager for Comcast NBCUniversal. “It’s super important to continue to build communities and technology access for both communities and our customers.”
Families at the event mentioned their love and appreciation for El Centro de la Raza, and how happy they were that their children could take part in the evening’s various programs, activities, and outings.
Many families have been using the computer lab to fill out forms as first-time homebuyers, for employment, and for middle and high school students to learn and do homework.
“The desire is to make sure the space feels like it belongs to the community,” said Mimi Santos, youth services co-director for El Centro de la Raza.
