Verizon Wireless Rewards Deserving Students with Tickets to *NSYNC Concert in Phoenix

PHOENIX, AZ — Verizon Wireless, the nation's largest wireless provider and sponsor of the ^*NSYNC 2001 POPODDESSY Tour, has donated concert tickets to the Pappas Foundation, which supports homeless and underprivileged children. Ten students and two educators from Crockett Elementary School, a school served by the Pappas Foundation, will attend the concert at Bank One Ballpark in Phoenix on July 18.

"Verizon Wireless is thrilled to be able to donate these tickets to the Pappas Foundation to benefit students from the Crockett School," said Todd Elliott, director of sales in Arizona. "As supporters of the educational programs offered by the Foundation for the last two years, we know how deserving these students are and how important it is to recognize their commitment to staying in school."

Students were selected to attend the ^*NSYNC concert based on their attendance, leadership, community service and school involvement during the 2000-2001 school year. Bereniz Marquez, the student leader with the best attendance record, and her teacher will also be guests of Verizon Wireless at a pre-concert sound check with ^*NSYNC. This is a special opportunity to visit with the band on a more intimate basis before their live performance.

"With the support of Verizon Wireless, the Pappas Foundation is able to recognize and reward outstanding students and provide them with a fun opportunity to attend the ^*NSYNC concert," said Kristi Donaldson, executive director of the Pappas Foundation. "For homeless or underprivileged youth, this is an exciting opportunity that they might have thought was out of reach."

^*NSYNC's appearance in Phoenix is just one stop on the group's 38-city, 45-concert tour that kicked off May 23 in Jacksonville, Fl. The tour will conclude in August.

The Pappas Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting educational, medical and social service programs that service homeless and severely impoverished children in the metropolitan Phoenix area.

About Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless is the largest wireless communications provider in the U.S. with more than 28 million wireless voice and data customers. The coast-to-coast wireless provider was formed by the combination of the U.S. wireless businesses of Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) and Vodafone (NYSE and LSE: VOD), including Bell Atlantic Mobile, AirTouch Cellular, GTE Wireless and PrimeCo Personal Communications. Verizon Wireless has a footprint covering more than 90 percent of the U.S. population, 49 of the top 50 and 97 of the top 100 U.S. markets. The company, headquartered in Bedminster, NJ, is 40,000 employees strong. Reporters and editors can find more information about the company on the Web at http://www.verizonwireless.com.

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