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Phillies Star Victorino Joins AT&T 'Texting Can Wait' Program to Encourage Teens Not To Text While Driving

August 09, 2010

(SPORTS TECHNOLOGY)

Shane Victorino is a superstar on and off the field. The Phillies outfielder, better known as the Flyin' Hawaiian and the winner of All-Star 2009 title, is involved in many community endeavors. Victorino has recently joined AT&T’s (News - Alert) important public safety initiative, called “Texting Can Wait” program. AT&T has launched this new important public safety initiative to raise awareness about the risks of texting while driving. Victorino has joined AT&T to encourage all wireless users, especially youth that text messages can - and should - wait until after driving.

“I know better than anyone that texting is part of everyday life, but nothing is so important to risk lives. It only takes a few seconds for that message to mean the difference between life and death. It can wait,” Victorino, said.

One of the unique parts of this AT&T campaign is: it features true stories about text messages that were sent or received before someone's life was altered, or even ended, because of texting and driving. With this campaign, the communication leader aims to emphasize that nothing is more valuable than life and texting can not be more important than safe driving. The company seeks to demonstrate through the campaign how insignificance a text message is compared to the potentially dire consequences of reading or responding while driving.

Involving different forms of media including print, radio, TV and online advertising as well as in-store signage, collateral and online billing, it is going to be an expansive public safety campaign.

The company officials said that parents, high school educators as well as the teens, can now visit AT&T's online resource center www.att.com/txtngcanwait. The site includes downloadable information about the dangers of texting while driving including a parent-teen pledge; a teen-teen pledge; a poster; a brochure; safety tips and more.

In addition, AT&T is also promoting the program through the company's Facebook (News - Alert) page with an application that lets friends encourage each other to take a pledge to not text and drive.

“We are thrilled to be working with Shane to help us deliver an important safety message and at the same time provide an experience of a lifetime for one lucky student. While our lucky student gets to take Shane to school in a limo, receive tickets to a game and go on the field, his or her school will take part in a valuable educational experience on the dangers of texting while driving,” Dan Lafond, vice president and general manager for AT&T in central and eastern Pennsylvania, said.

It should be mentioned here in addition to the texting “Can Wait” program, Victorino recently launched the Shane Victorino Foundation and pledged $900,000 to renovate a local Boys and Girls Club. He is also hosting an All-Star Celebrity Fashion Show on Monday, August 16 for charity.


Madhubanti Rudra is a contributing editor for TMCnet. To read more of her articles, please visit her columnist page.

Edited by Marisa Torrieri