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Sprint Nextel and Cincinnati's Hughes Center High School and Alumni Foundation Connect for an Environment-Friendly Fundraiser; Foundation to Receive Funds With Month-Long Drive to Recycle Used Cell Phones

Posted on: Friday, 28 April 2006, 09:00 CDT

Sprint Nextel (NYSE:S) and Cincinnati's Hughes Center High School and Alumni Foundation are partnering to recycle wireless phones and help improve the environment for the good of Cincinnati.

Through Sprint Project Connect, Sprint's nationwide wireless phone recycling program, the public can recycle their used cell phones beginning today at all Sprint Nextel retail stores and at the Hughes Center, at 2515 Clifton Avenue in Cincinnati. At the end of the 30-day collection period, Sprint will donate 100 percent of the net proceeds from the recycling effort to the Hughes Center/Alumni Foundation.

"We are excited about bringing the Sprint Project Connect program to the Hughes Center and the Greater Cincinnati area," said Sandy Bowles, executive director for the Foundation. "This program not only teaches young people and parents the importance of taking care of the environment, but also teaches about leadership and community service."

"The earlier we emphasize to children how important recycling is to their future and their children's futures, the sooner they will become better informed and lifelong advocates for a clean environment," said Jeff Berding, Cincinnati City Councilman. "Sprint's Project Connect program is a great example of how the entire Cincinnati community can come together to support the Hughes Center, our kids and our environment."

In 2001 Sprint launched Sprint Project Connect, a wireless phone donation and recycling program, to raise charitable funds while providing an environmentally friendly way to dispose of used wireless phones. Through Sprint Project Connect and other take back programs, donated wireless phones are either recycled or resold. Since the program's inception, Sprint Nextel has donated more than $3 million to charities and kept nearly 7 million wireless devices out of the waste stream.

"Approximately 76 percent of residents in Cincinnati have wireless phones and most have a used phone or two lying idle in their house or office," said Kevin Gleason, area vice president for Sprint. "By simply donating an unused phone, residents will be benefiting Cincinnati youth and the community where they work and live."

A kick-off event announcing Sprint Project Connect in Cincinnati takes place today, April 28 at the Sprint store at 7878 Montgomery Road, from 10 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Guests include Hughes Center Alumni Foundation Chairman Chuck Whitehead, Councilman Berding, and Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce members.

For those interested in donating used phones at Sprint Nextel stores that benefit the Hughes Center/Alumni Foundation, drop-off boxes are available at all Sprint Nextel Greater Cincinnati Retail Stores from April 28 through May 28, 2006. Sprint Project Connect accepts all makes and models of phones.

About Sprint Project Connect

In April 2002, Sprint launched Sprint Project Connect, a wireless phone donation and recycling program, to raise charitable funds while providing an environmentally friendly way to dispose of used wireless phones. Through Sprint Project Connect, donated wireless phones are either recycled or resold. The majority of the net proceeds from resale benefit K-12 education programs through the Sprint Foundation. The remaining funds support the Wireless Foundation. Sprint Project Connect accepts all makes and models of phones at Sprint Stores nationwide.

About Sprint Nextel

Sprint offers an extensive range of innovative communication products and solutions, including global IP, wireless, local and multiproduct bundles. A Fortune 100 company with more than $27 billion in annual revenues in 2004, Sprint is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying state-of-the-art network technologies, including the United States' first nationwide all-digital, fiber-optic network; an award-winning Tier 1 Internet backbone; and one of the largest 100-percent digital, nationwide wireless networks in the United States. For more information, visit www.sprint.com/mr.

About the Hughes Center/Alumni Foundation

The Hughes Alumni Foundation is a nonprofit volunteer Ohio corporation that exists to connect Hughes alumni, students and community. Hughes Center is an award-winning, liberal arts, college preparatory Cincinnati Public High School with 6 college preparatory programs: The Paideia School for Critical Thinking, The Cincinnati Academy of Mathematics And Science, The Zoo Academy, The High School for the Health Professions, The High School for the Communication Professions and The High School for Teaching & Technology.

Source: Business Wire

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