OAKLAND, Calif., March 28, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Local media companies Comcast (http://comcastcalifornia.mediaroom.com) and the Bay Area News Group (B.A.N.G.) (http://www.bayareanewsgroup.com) today honored 27 Bay Area residents for making a positive impact in their communities at the 2nd Annual Hometown Heroes ceremony. The individuals who were saluted (complete list below) have been named "Hometown Heroes" (http://www.insidebayarea.com/hometownheroes) by the two companies for making a difference in their cities and beyond, and were honored before an audience of community leaders, elected officials, special guests and their families.

Downloadable broadcast-quality B-roll video footage of the honorees and the ceremony is available at:  http://comcastcalifornia.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=98.

"We are honored to once again join in recognizing those individuals who demonstrate a strong commitment to their communities," said Curt Henninger, Senior Vice President of Comcast California.  "At a time when California is dealing with a myriad of challenges, these 'Hometown Heroes' are some of the unsung leaders in our state, and it's a privilege to partner with the Bay Area News Group to salute their heroic efforts."

"The exciting thing about this project has been the reaction to it," said Pete Wevurski, Bay Area News Group - East Bay managing editor. "We had hoped that stories of good people doing great things would be appreciated -- and they have been. The surprise has been the number of suggestions and nominations for future Hometown Heroes stories that have come to us from our readers and Comcast viewers. This project has struck a chord."

The Hometown Heroes event was held from 5:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. at the Rotunda located at 300 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza in Oakland. Henry Wofford, Sports Anchor for Comcast SportsNet Bay Area, and Cecilia Vega of ABC7, KGO-TV served as the Masters of Ceremonies. Elected officials were also on hand to present proclamations to the honorees, as well as tape video segments for Comcast's public affairs program, "Comcast Newsmakers" (http://norcalnewsmakers.com) and Comcast Hometown Network's new newscast, "Upside (http://www.comcasthometown.com/Upside)."

The "Hometown Heroes" partnership aims to highlight people in the community who are remarkable individuals, encourage volunteerism, and raise the visibility of local nonprofits and key causes. In its third year, the "Hometown Heroes" partnership between the two media companies is designed to recognize individuals in the Bay Area that are making a positive impact in their community, yet go unrecognized. Every other Monday, all of the B.A.N.G. publications (with the exception of the Mercury News and the Marin Independent Journal) publish a feature article on a "Hometown Hero" and their community efforts, and also encourage the publication's readers to learn more about the Hero by viewing video segments via Comcast's On Demand platform. 

To learn more about the honorees in your area, visit the Hometown Heroes website at http://www.insidebayarea.com/hometownheroes.

About Bay Area News Group

Bay Area News Group is powered by MediaNews Group (www.medianewsgroup.com), one of the largest newspaper companies in the United States situated throughout California, the Rocky Mountain region and the Northwest. We are privately owned and operate nearly 60 daily newspapers in 13 states with combined daily and Sunday circulation of approximately 2.6 million and 2.9 million, respectively. The Bay Area News Group (B.A.N.G.) serves more than 1.9 million print readers daily in the nation's fifth-largest DMA and an on-line audience of 5.3 million unique visitors on a monthly basis.  Publications include:  Alameda Times Star, Contra Costa Times, East County Times, Fremont Argus, Hayward Daily Review, Marin Independent Journal, Oakland Tribune, San Mateo County Times, San Jose Mercury News, TriValley Herald, West County Times, and Valley Times. 

About Comcast Corporation

Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq : CMCSA , CMCSK) (www.comcast.com) is one of the nation's leading providers of entertainment, information and communications products and services.  Comcast is principally involved in the operation of cable systems through Comcast Cable and in the development, production and distribution of entertainment, news, sports and other content for global audiences through NBCUniversal.  Comcast Cable is one of the nation's largest video, high-speed Internet and phone providers to residential and business customers.  Comcast is the majority owner and manager of NBCUniversal, which owns and operates entertainment and news cable networks, the NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks, local television station groups, television production operations, a major motion picture company and theme parks.

Comcast's California Region, based in Livermore, California, serves more than 2.3 million customers in Northern and Central California.  Comcast employs more than 7,000 local residents across the region.

SOURCE Comcast