The Ole Miss Alumni Association is one of five departments
on campus that is participating in an effort to provide pre-paid phone cards to
Mississippi soldiers serving in Afghanistan and Iraq. The Cell Phones For
Soldiers Campaign aims to collect and recycle 5,000 used cell phones over the
next few weeks — one for each Mississippi soldier overseas. Each cell phone will
be sent to the ReCellular company, which pays enough for the phones to provide 60 minutes of pre-paid phone cards for each donated phone.
Phones are being accepted at various drop off locations
across campus and in Oxford. Guests of The Inn at Ole Miss can drop off their
old cell phones in the lobby. Other drop-off points include the John D.
Williams Library and the Student Union. Oxford locations include City Hall and
the Chamber of Commerce.
The effort will culminate with a game day collection drive on November 21, when
the Rebels take on LSU in Oxford. Game Day drop-off locations include the E. F.
Yerby Center, site of the Alumni Association's “Members Only” area, the Starnes
Athletic Training Center and the Student Union. Tents will be set up at each
location.
“The Alumni Association is fortunate to be part of this task
force,” says Scott Thompson, Alumni Association Assistant Director. “Many of
the 5,000 Mississippi soldiers serving our country in the Middle East are
connected to The University of Mississippi. When school colors get
replaced with battle fatigues, they all become a member of our family.
And we want to do everything we can to show our support.”
The effort is part of the national Cell Phones For
Soldiers Campaign, which has a network of more than 3,000 collection sites
across the country. The organization’s stated mission is to help soldiers
stationed overseas to call home.