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Nextel and Red Cross Team up to Support Military Members and Families
Written by Jennifer Liewer, Special to Redcross.org
Tuesday, October 14, 2003 — As military deployments continue with Operation Iraqi Freedom, the American Red Cross and its partner organizations are still finding unique ways to support U.S. troops and their families. At a recent Arizona Diamondback¡¦s baseball game, the Red Cross and Nextel Communications Inc. commemorated their joint nationwide Donate A Phone campaign and customer donation program.
Gary Altman moves to the pitcher's mound to throw the first pitch at an Arizona Diamondback's game in memory of his son Scott. |
Launched to raise critical funds for Red Cross services to military members and their families, the Donate A Phone program is a simple way for Americans to support military members and their families by donating wireless phones they no longer use.
Once such military family in need of these valuable services was the Altman family of Glendale, Az. As a veteran, Gary Altman knew that when tragedy struck his family, he needed to call the Red Cross for help. When his son Scott Altman, a student pilot at Arizona State University, was killed in a plane crash over Sedona in April of this year, his brother, Mathew Altman, was deployed with the Army's 4th Infantry in Iraq.
The Altman family quickly realized they needed to get a message to Mathew that Scott had been killed so he could hopefully be home for the funeral. They contacted their local Red Cross office, the Grand Canyon Chapter, in Phoenix to request an emergency message be sent. Red Cross caseworker Lucy Torres immediately began working to secure the information she needed to send the message.
"It was a complicated case that required much persistence because of the nature of how Scott had died," said Torres. "Because it was an aviation incident, getting confirmation of Scott¡¦s death, so that a message could be sent, was extremely difficult. We had to communicate with the FAA, the NTSB and local law enforcement, all of which were investigating the crash, to receive verification that Scott had been on the plane and perished in the incident."
Torres persisted in her efforts, though, and less than two days later, the message was sent to Mathew Altman that his brother had been killed. With the help of Arizona Senator John McCain, Mathew was granted emergency leave and returned home to attend funeral services and be with his family during their difficult time.
To educate the public about Red Cross Armed Forces Emergency Services (AFES) and the Donate A Phone program, a Red Cross booth was stationed at Bank One Ballpark, home of the Arizona Diamondbacks, for all home games between August 19 and 29. Baseball fans responded generously and more than 300 phones were collected in just 10 days.
Even the gigantic screens at the ballpark commemorated the successful partnership. |
In addition to collection activities, August 29th was deemed Nextel/Red Cross night at the ballpark. First pitch ceremonies that night included the Red Cross staff and volunteers, the Altman's, Arizona Senator John McCain and Nextel, in honor of their role in supporting military families. Craig Counsell, third baseman for the Diamondbacks, donated his time to help spread the message through a series of Public Service Announcements and was also present during the first pitch ceremonies.
The night was especially important for Mr. and Mrs. Altman because their late son was a big fan of the baseball team.
"Scott was a big Diamondbacks fan and Matt was a big fan of Scott, so there is no better way to honor both of them than by being here tonight," said Gary Altman, as he prepared to throw out the first pitch.
Through a worldwide communication network, the Red Cross supports our men and women in uniform by facilitating emergency communication, mobilizing Red Cross AFES workers to live and work alongside troops and numerous other services. From the home front to the frontlines, the Red Cross delivers emergency messages such as the death of a loved one, a serious illness or the birth of a child.
Americans can participate in the Donate A Phone program by taking their old wireless phones, from any manufacturer, to any one of Nextel's 450-plus retail stores around the nation (visit Nextel.com for locations nearest you).
After recycling and refurbishing the phones, Nextel will donate the net proceeds of the resale value, which averages $1.50 for each phone collected, to the national Red Cross Armed Forces Emergency Services, the arm of the organization that supports service members and their families. In addition, the public will have the opportunity to make tax-deductible cash donations to the American Red Cross at Nextel stores.
To further be a part of assisting the Red Cross as it supports American military members and their families, you can call 1-800-HELP NOW, or 1-800-257-7575 for Spanish speakers, to make a donation. Financial contributions can also be mailed to your local American Red Cross chapter or to the American Red Cross, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, D.C. 20013.
Donations can additionally be made at our secure Online Donation page.
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