Philanthropy. And, technology.

These two words have shaped regional telecommunications company DFT Communications since its inception in 1898. Staying on the forefront of technology to provide the best services available, and giving back to the communities and organizations it partners with.

This year, DFT is pursuing its philanthropic roots by sponsoring some of the major summer events in the Dunkirk and Fredonia areas.

“Basically we sponsor these events to be a good community partner,” said Dan Siracuse, Director of Marketing and Public Relations at DFT. “We are loyal to those who are loyal to us. This is our way of giving back to both Dunkirk and Fredonia. And, anyone in the community is able to participate in the events that they host. It gives us an opportunity to partner with them. It’s all about community service.”

In Fredonia, DFT is an elite sponsor of the Festivals Fredonia organization, which presents the Fredonia Farm Festival, Fredonia History Days, Festival Italia, Red White and Blues Festival, Harvest Moon Cemetery Tours, and Miracle on Main Street. These events bring together some of the best things Fredonia has to offer and present them to residents and visitors who travel great distances to attend these growing festivals.

“Sponsorship whether monetary or with the support of promotional and advertising items is paramount and key to the success of the festivals,” said Larry Fiorella, President of Festivals Fredonia. “Without that support we’d have to rely on charging participation from participants, or not having the highest quality festivals, or maybe even having less festivals. It’s a huge impact on whether or not we can operate successfully.”

Next door in Dunkirk, DFT is a valued partner of the City, where the company provides numerous services to their growing infrastructure. In addition, DFT has maintained a role as a major sponsor of the Dunkirk summer events schedule, which includes Music on the Pier, the Beach Bash, July 4th Fireworks, and the second presentation of the Great Lakes Offshore Grand Prix.

“Sponsorships from presenting sponsors such as DFT Communications have helped our events become what they are today,” said City of Dunkirk Mayor Wilfred Rosas.

Echoing the Mayor’s sentiments Dunkirk Festivals and Special Events coordinator Hector Rosas said, “We’ve been able to put out world class events like the air shows and the Great Lakes Offshore Grand Prix, which was televised on CBS Sports and streamed live to 105 countries. Without sponsorships, we wouldn’t have been able to accomplish this.”

DFT, owned by the Maytum Family, is a six-generation family-owned company. They have maintained a long history of community partnership through financial support, and that vision will continue into the future for years to come.

“In my 20 years here, we’ve done events like these and other things going on in communities,” said Siracuse. “But we’ve done that since DFT started. We’re very pro-philanthropy and that’s been our mission since day one. Arthur Maytum, Robert Maytum Sr., and all the way down the line — they were all great believers in that. It’s the spirit of philanthropy and we’ll continue with the great work that they began.”

For more information on FestivalsFredonia, go to www.festivalsfredonia.org. For more information on Dunkirk’s Summer on the Lake program and schedule, visit their facebook page at www.facebook.com/dunkirk.festivals.

About DFT Communications

Over the past 121 years, we’ve updated equipment, expanded services and added subscribers. DFT Communications and Netsync offer residential and business Internet Services, Digital Phone Service, Business Telephone Systems, Security Systems, IT Management Services and Wireless Communications. DFT has proven itself as a premier service provider in Chautauqua County and throughout Western New York and parts of Pennsylvania. You can learn more about the services offered by DFT Communications by going to www.dftcommunications.com.