Verizon Wireless Awards Barrio Logan Student Passes To *NSYNC Concert

SAN DIEGO, CA — Barrio Logan resident Christian Pineda and a guest will have the opportunity to get up close with popular music sensation ^*NSYNC next Monday, July 16 at Qualcomm Stadium, thanks to Verizon Wireless, sponsor of the ^*NSYNC 2001 POPODYSSEY Tour. Donated on Saturday, July 7 at Barrio Logan College Institute's (BLCI) graduation ceremony, the passes and tickets, are rewards to Pineda for his academic excellence in BLCI's After School Enrichment program.

The passes will provide the opportunity for Christian Pineda and a guest to enter the concert early, watch ^*NSYNC perform songs before the show, take pictures of the guys up close, and submit a special question to the group members.

Barrio Logan College Institute (BLCI) is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting equal opportunity by helping youth from low-income communities gain access to college. The Institute's After-School Program offers academic enrichment in mathematics, social studies, language arts and science. Students enrolled in the after school program engage in hands-on, interactive learning in small groups, two afternoons a week in two hour sessions.

"Every contribution helps us expand and enrich the program for our kids," said Berenice Gil, acting executive director for the Barrio Logan College Institute. "This is Verizon Wireless' sixth year as a contributor to the institute and we would like to offer our special thanks for their continued support!"

"Supporting the development of our youth is an important role for everyone and we are pleased that as an ^*NSYNC tour sponsor, we are able to extend this opportunity to the Institute," said Verizon Wireless regional president Mike Finley. "We chose to provide the passes to Barrio Logan College Institute because of the organization's commitment to developing the talents of our youth to enable them to achieve their full potential."

As the official wireless sponsor for ^*NSYNC 's 2001 POPODYSSEY Tour, Verizon Wireless is also offering an online "Follow the Tour" sweepstakes. Whenever ^*NSYNC visits a city, Verizon Wireless will draw the names of 10 lucky fans who have registered to win two tickets on at http://www.verizonwireless.com.

Lucky grand prizewinners will win a pair (2) of tickets to see an ^*NSYNC concert in their area. Runner-up winners will win an autographed copy of ^*NSYNC 's latest CD "Celebrity" featuring the new hit single "Pop", available in stores July 24. Winners will be selected weekly based on ^*NSYNC's touring schedule. Entrants must select a specific concert and date for which they would like to be entered to win tickets. (One entry per person. See rules for details).

^*NSYNC 's appearance at Qualcomm Stadium is just one stop on the group's 39-city, 46-concert tour that kicked off May 23 in Jacksonville, Fl. As a tour sponsor, Verizon Wireless has a visible presence at each concert. In-venue promotions include distinctive banners and Jumbotron messages. The Verizon Wireless booth offers fans the opportunity to have a free picture taken with a 4'x7' stand up display of the band. The digital photo will be sent electronically to those photographed so they can e-mail it to friends and family.

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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