Corporate Leaders Hit the Fairway in Support of the American Red Cross

Nextel Invitational Charity Event Golf Tournament Raises $452,000 for Red Cross Armed Forces Emergency Services

WASHINGTON, Wednesday, September 22, 2004 — Low numbers are generally a good thing when discussing golf, but it was the high number that had everyone buzzing at the second annual Nextel Invitational Charity Event Golf Tournament. This fundraiser, which has been dubbed the N.I.C.E. Golf Tournament, hosted by Nextel Communications Inc. (NASDAQ: NXTL) at the Lansdowne Resort in Northern Virginia on September 13th raised $452,000 in support of American Red Cross Armed Forces Emergency Services.

"At Nextel, we're proud of our long-standing history of answering the call for the American Red Cross by providing communications support in the wake of natural or man-made disasters," said Tim Donahue, president and CEO of Nextel. “Nextel is also committed to supporting the Red Cross as it works to provide needed services to the families of those serving our country in the military. We encourage all of our customers and the general public to answer the call to support military families by supporting the American Red Cross."

The valued support of the Red Cross Armed Forces Emergency Services was made possible through the generous support of event sponsors including:

Around the clock and around the globe, during times of personal crisis, the Red Cross helps keep the American people in touch with their loved ones serving in the U.S. military.

“The emergency services we provide to members of the military and their families is not driven by conflict, but by the number of troops deployed,” said Marsha J. Evans, president and CEO of the American Red Cross, who is, herself, a retired Navy Admiral. “As long as U.S. troops are deployed—combat or not—there is a need to support them and their families back home.”

The Red Cross currently serves 1.4 million active duty personnel and their immediate family members and reaches out to the 1.2 million members of the National Guard/Reserves as well as their families residing in communities across America .

“We want to thank Nextel and the corporations who participated in the tournament for enabling the Red Cross to provide critical support to our service personnel,” said Evans.

Nextel and t he American Red Cross were thrilled and grateful to WJLA-TV/ABC7 anchorman Leon Harris for donating his time and talents as master of ceremonies for the afternoon event in support of the Red Cross.

Nextel also sponsors a unique program in support of the American Red Cross Armed Forces Emergency Services entitled DONATE A PHONE®. This program is a simple way for Americans to support military members and their families by donating their old wireless phones. Between the DONATE A PHONE® program and the two N.I.C.E tournaments, Nextel has raised nearly a million dollars for the American Red Cross Armed Forces Emergency Services.

Americans can participate in the program by taking their old wireless phones from any manufacturer to any one of Nextel's 700 retail stores. After recycling and refurbishing the phones, Nextel will donate the net proceeds of the resale value, which averages $1.70 for each phone collected, to American Red Cross Armed Forces Emergency Services, the arm of the organization that supports members of the U.S. Armed Forces and their families. In addition, the public will have the opportunity to make a cash donation to the American Red Cross at Nextel stores.

The Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association (CTIA) Wireless Foundation, the philanthropic organization for the nation's wireless industry and the creator of the DONATE A PHONE® program, estimates that approximately 30 million old wireless phones lay idle in American homes and businesses.

About Nextel
Nextel Communications, a FORTUNE 200 company based in Reston, Va., is a leading provider of fully integrated wireless communications services and has built the largest guaranteed all-digital wireless network in the country covering thousands of communities across the United States. Today 95 percent of FORTUNE 500® companies are Nextel customers. Nextel and Nextel Partners, Inc. currently serve 297 of the top 300 U.S. markets where approximately 254 million people live or work.