Carlos: My name’s Carlos Casas.
I’m the Google Fiber Team Lead here in Kansas City.
I grew up in Kansas City and I’m proud to be a member of this community.
On July 26th, a rally began to bring Google Fiber to Kansas City.
Mayor Reardon: And let’s do this for Kansas City, Missouri.
We’d bring it to where Kansas Citians wanted the service. And we’d build first where
they wanted it most.
For a community to get Fiber, a certain number of households in each neighborhood needed
to pre-register.
To reach those numbers, residents came together to spread the message to neighbors all over
the city.
We were there to help.
Our team members are all from Kansas City. And it meant a lot to us to be able to work
directly in communities to help folks rally their neighbors.
From Quindaro to Armourdale, from Waldo to 18th & Vine, we visited people at their schools,
churches and soccer games.
We walked up and down the streets talking to folks on their porches and front lawns.
And we honestly didn’t know what kind of response to expect.
So, we were really impressed by the way neighborhoods rallied together for Fiber.
Kristin Johnson: I use the side of the house on occasion to write little messages to the
neighborhood.
Danny Boi: I was so excited, Day One, I actually talked to my neighbors.
Dr. Sugar Lee Lewis: I know I’ve talked to over 500 to 1000 people, I know within
the last, past six weeks.
Bob Evans: I used every possible free means I could find to inform my community and get
the word out about Google, about what it could do, and what it could mean to the students
of Kansas City, Kansas and Kansas City, Missouri.
Rosalyn Brown: We came together as the church, and the Northeast Economic Development Corporation.
Kristin Johnson: And we started doing a weekly email to our neighborhood.
Dr. Sharon Nibbelink: We talked to them out on their doorstep, and then asked them to
talk to ten more people.
Bob Evans: I did email blasts. I contacted the Mayor’s office.
Dr. Sharon Nibbelink: Spent an hour and a half at the corner gas station just having
a conversation.
Danny Boi: I knocked on doors. I got people to sign up.
Mike Hurd: But it was really reaching out personally and touching people and saying
‘we need you on board, we need to meet these goals, because if your fiberhood meets goal,
it’s a game-changer for the future’.
Brenda Shivers: I was surprised at how many people were excited about Google when I would
talk to them. ‘Oh yeah, I’ve heard of Google. Oh yeah, I’m going to be at that
meeting’.
Audrey Fryar: And all of my friends have signs in front of their houses.
Carlos: It was just a great feeling whenever we were able to turn a fiberhood ‘green’.
Tommy Wilson: When my Fiberhood, which is the Business District, went ‘green’, we
were elated.
Bob Evans: Within ten seconds, we went green, I started getting telephone calls. I got emails.
Julie Leach: All of our schools are getting Google Fiber. Every single one of them. As
of right now, they’re all getting it. Yeah! (cheering)
Carlos: We saw our advocates do from the smallest things to the largest things and they were
all a part of bringing Fiber to Kansas City.
Rosalyn Brown: We did make a difference. You know, if you get busy and work hard, you can
make a difference in your community.
