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Sprint and Las Vegas Monorail Sponsor Local Community Connections Program

Release Date: December 18, 2006

Companies Provided At-Risk Students with Opportunity to See 'The Nutcracker' Dress Rehearsal and Other Opportunities in Arts

LAS VEGAS - (December 15, 2006) -Nevada Ballet Theatre (NBT) held a special dress rehearsal of the holiday classic The Nutcracker on December 13 before an audience of hundreds of local students. This is part of NBT’s overall "Future Dance in School" program, which exposes historically underrepresented populations to dance to broaden their education and development.

This year, the Ballet partnered with Sprint and the Las Vegas Monorail Company through its "Community Connections" sponsorship. By participating in the program, the two companies made it possible for eight schools participating in the FDIS program to send their students to the dress rehearsal free-of-charge. The Public Education Foundation also supported the program. After the dress rehearsal, students attended a special reception hosted by Sprint where they had the opportunity to meet with cast members of The Nutcracker.

The "Future Dance in School" (FDIS) program provides a unique learning experience for children through free dance classes and attending live ballet performances. Dance scholarships to the Academy of Nevada Ballet Theatre are then awarded to a select group of Future Dance students who have completed the course study and demonstrated commitment, dedication and talent. This year, for the first time ever, an FDIS scholar – Jacquelyn Buckmaster –is performing as Fritz, a lead role in The Nutcracker.

"Sprint is proud to support the Nevada Ballet and the community of Las Vegas through participation in this and future events," said Donna Russum, general manager, Sprint Center at the Las Vegas Convention Center Station.

"The Las Vegas Monorail Company is excited to provide Southern Nevada’s youth with this creative opportunity," said Las Vegas Monorail Company President and CEO, Curtis Myles III. "As a proud sponsor of this event, we are happy the enrichment program will encourage the talents of our local students and promote the arts within our community."

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 is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying innovative technologies, including two robust wireless networks serving more than 51 million customers at the end of third quarter 2006; industry-leading mobile data services; instant national and international walkie-talkie capabilities; and an award-winning and global Tier 1 Internet backbone. For more information, visit www.sprint.com.

About Las Vegas Monorail:
The Las Vegas Monorail is an easy and convenient conduit to the legendary Las Vegas Strip, connecting riders to the city’s world-class restaurants, shows, shops, clubs, hotels and casinos. The system is electric and travels at speeds up to 50 mph. Riders can travel the entire distance of the world-famous Las Vegas Strip in less than 15 minutes in a safe, comfortable and clean environment - without the hassles of traffic congestion and gridlock. Currently, the privately-funded Monorail system has seven

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