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C Spire Wireless Helps Victims of Hattiesburg Tornado With Text-To-Donate Mobile Giving Program

2013-02-11
American Red Cross

Wireless Customers Can Easily Donate $10 To Aid American Red Cross Relief Efforts

Ridgeland, Miss., (February 11, 2013) – C Spire Wireless is making it easy to help victims of a tornado that roared through south Mississippi over the weekend with the launch today of a mobile giving program.

Customers can use their mobile phones to make a $10 donation that will aid American Red Cross relief efforts in the aftermath of a tornado that injured more than 60 people and damaged 200 homes and mobile homes, according to Gov. Phil Bryant and state emergency response officials. Several buildings on the campus of the University of Southern Mississippi also received extensive damage.

All of the fund donated will be passed directly to the American Red Cross to provide shelter, food, counseling and other assistance to victims and communities affected by the tornado. To donate $10 to Red Cross relief efforts, customers can type the word “REDCROSS” and send it to 90999 via text message from their mobile device.

A confirmation text response will be sent to each customer to confirm the donation. All donations will appear as a line item on the customer’s bill.

Despite heavy voice and data volumes in the area immediately before and after the storm, C Spire’s advanced wireless communications network continued to operate, according to Eric Hollingsworth, vice president of Network Operations.

Hollingsworth said that call volumes and data traffic were higher than normal, but the network performed well with all of its cell sites operating with very few customer impacting issues. Several cell sites in Forrest County were on back up batteries or emergency generators due to loss of commercial power and the company responded to trouble reports for some nearby cell sites in Wayne County.

“Our thoughts and prayers go out to all of the individuals, families and communities that are dealing with the immediate aftermath of this tornado,” said Jim Richmond, vice president of Corporate Communications for C Spire Wireless. “We’re committed to using wireless technology to keep customers connected in times like these and to make it easy to support victims of this storm.”

About C Spire Wireless

C Spire Wireless is a diversified wireless communications company passionately committed to helping customers by personalizing wireless services designed just for them. The company is the first wireless provider in the U.S. to personalize customers’ experience by offering apps that fit who they are, services that anticipate their needs, and rewards for using their phone in new ways – all with seamless ease and at amazingly fast speeds. This news release and other announcements are available at www.cspire.com/news. For more information about C Spire Wireless and its products and services, visit www.cspire.com or follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/cspire or Twitter at www.twitter.com/cspire or Google + or www.pinterest.com/cspirewireless