BELLEVUE, WA — Even in a crowd of 70,000 screaming fans at Husky Stadium, University of Washington football ticket holders can still be contacted in an emergency with the help of Verizon Wireless Message Central Service.
Message Central provides fans with an emergency phone number - 206-799-DAWG (3294) - to leave at home on game day with their seat locations. Upon arrival of an emergency call to the DAWG number, a Verizon Wireless employee will deliver the message to the fan in that seat along with a cell phone to use to return the call.
During the season opener on September 8, one family experienced first hand the value of the Verizon Wireless service. "We took a message and a phone to parents whose child had fallen off the backyard swing set," said Steve Johnson, Verizon Wireless Communication Store Manager. "The child's mother used our phone to call the baby sitter and confirmed that the child was okay. It is reassuring that our Message Central Service can help deliver peace of mind."
Verizon Wireless Message Central Service is available without charge to all fans at each of six home games at Husky Stadium during the 2001 season. In addition to Message Central, Verizon Wireless, the nation's largest wireless provider, staffs two kiosks at the Stadium, near Tunnels 8 and 9, where fans can make free local calls on game days.
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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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