OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (BUSINESS WIRE), July 03, 2012 – Sprint (NYSE:S, news, filings) has entered into a joint partnership with The Roetheli Lil’ Red Foundation, Diplomat Entertainment and the National Association of the Deaf (NAD) to commemorate legendary deaf baseball player William “Dummy” Hoy. Hoy became one of the best professional baseball players at the turn of the 20th century.
With the support of Sprint, The Roetheli Lil’ Red Foundation will donate $4 from the sale of each “I See the Crowd Roar – The Story of William ‘Dummy’ Hoy” DVD to the National Association of the Deaf (NAD), the nation’s premier civil rights organization of, by and for deaf and hard of hearing individuals.
Narrated by Emmy Award-winning sports commentator and journalist Roy Firestone, the powerful documentary tracks Hoy’s life story as he overcomes the inability to hear or speak.
“I thoroughly enjoyed witnessing Hoy’s passion and his refusal to give up as portrayed by actor Ryan Lane, who is also deaf,” said Mike Ellis, director-Sprint Relay Services. “Partnering with The Roetheli Lil’ Red Foundation and Diplomat Entertainment to benefit NAD was a natural fit for our Sprint Relay Marketing and Sales teams as we prepare for the 51st Biennial NAD Conference in Louisville, Ky., and the DeafNation World Expo in Las Vegas.”
Hoy’s story is one of honesty, character, humility, living with passion and persistence, setting and achieving goals, and executing a game plan. It also provides important perspective as to what it is like for people with disabilities to succeed in society. Hoy died in 1961 at age 99 and was inducted into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame in 2003.
“Hoy’s story is an inspiration to the deaf and hard of hearing communities and anyone who hopes to achieve their dreams,” said Howard Rosenblum, executive director-NAD. “The NAD would like to express our gratitude to The Roetheli Lil’ Red Foundation for partnering with Sprint to make this fundraising effort possible.”
“When The Roetheli Lil’ Red Foundation agreed to fund the production of ‘I See the Crowd Roar,’ I was thrilled by their enthusiasm, and I couldn’t be happier with the finished product,” said Paul Hendison of Diplomat Entertainment. “Having Sprint Relay and NAD partnering with the foundation has truly been a blessing.”
“We feel strongly that William Hoy’s story is an immensely powerful and inspiring demonstration of how expectations can be shattered by one person,” said Joe Roetheli, CEO of The Roetheli Lil’ Red Foundation. “We are honored to be partnering with NAD and Sprint Relay in marketing this great story of `life lessons.’”
To find out more about how to buy “I See the Crowd Roar” and benefit NAD, text 229466 from any Sprint wireless device. You can also order this DVD online and contribute to the NAD by visiting our website: http://www.iseethecrowdroar.com/sprint-relay-sponsorship-benefit-nad/.
About Sprint Nextel
Sprint Nextel offers a comprehensive range of wireless and wireline communications services bringing the freedom of mobility to consumers, businesses and government users. Sprint Nextel served more than 56 million customers at the end of the first quarter of 2012 and is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying innovative technologies, including the first wireless 4G service from a national carrier in the United States; offering industry-leading mobile data services, leading prepaid brands including Virgin Mobile USA, Boost Mobile, and Assurance Wireless; instant national and international push-to-talk capabilities; and a global Tier 1 Internet backbone. The American Customer Satisfaction Index rated Sprint No. 1 among all national carriers and most improved in customer satisfaction across all industries during the last four years. Newsweek ranked Sprint No. 3 in its 2011 Green Rankings, listing it as one of the nation’s greenest companies, the highest of any telecommunications company. You can learn more and visit Sprint at www.sprint.com or www.facebook.com/sprint and www.twitter.com/sprint.
Contact(s):
| Media Contact: Sprint Mark Bonavia, 913-269-0436 mark.bonavia@sprint.com or Rosenberg Marketing Amy Rosenberg, 503-869-2688 amy@rosenbergmarketing.com |
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