Unity Fest gets boost from Nextel
Published 12:00 am Wednesday, September 1, 2004
Unity Festival organizers received a boost from a cellular service provider this week in
order to ensure the concerts will go on as planned.
Nextel Partners and Nextel Authorized Dealer, Computer and Data Network Services,
donated $1,900 worth of wireless phones and service, including Direct ConnectSM digital
walkie-talkie service, to the Unity Festival in order to enhance coordination and
communication at the event.
According to Daniel DiGuglielmo, Nextel Partners general manager, this is the first time
the company has made such a donation to event organizers.
“Offering instant contact in less than a second, Nextel’s walkie-talkie service is a great tool
for enhancing staff and volunteer coordination&045;from event set-up to directing traffic&045;and
improving visitors’ experience at the Labor Day festival,” DiGuglielmo said.
The Unity Festival begins this Friday evening at the Elks Lodge Outdoor Pavilion on
Water Avenue with a talent contest.
Throughout the rest of the weekend, a wide variety of bands are scheduled to entertain the
crowds during the event.
Too Tuff Entertainment President Roosevelt Johnson said the three-day event is a
multicultural celebration of Selma’s historical diversity and allows citizens to come
together in a family-orientated setting.
“We are going to bridge the gap between Selma’s two communities in the spirit of Labor
Day and Unity,” Roosevelt said.
Selma’s Unity Festival is the latest community event supported by Nextel Partners, which
donates thousands of dollars worth of wireless phones and free service to local community
groups, events, and nonprofit organizations.
“With more than 60 staff and volunteers and 7,000 attendees expected at this year’s event,
efficient communication and coordination is critical to the Festival’s success,” said
Cassandra Moten, coordinator of the Labor Day Festival. “With access to Nextel’s Direct
Connect and cellular services, we will be able to quickly reach staff members and
volunteers throughout the event and keep the festival running smoothly.”
Nextel Partners currently serves the greater Montgomery area, including Auburn,
Greenville, Luverne, Millbrook, Prattville, Selma, Troy and Wetumpka.