GTE calling on customers
to support literacy campaign

Star-Bulletin staff

GTE Hawaiian Tel has given literacy a boost by allowing subscribers to check off to raise funds to increase literacy.

"GTE has been a wholehearted champion of literacy in the United States for almost a decade," said GTE Hawaiian Tel President Warren Haruki.

Former state first lady Lynne Waihee, president of the Read-To-Me International board, said, "The most gratifying aspect of GTE's initiative is that this program is designed to serve all aspects of literacy education and is open to all qualified organizations."

GTE residential and small-business customers may donate $1 a month via a check-off box on payment remittance slips with their phone bills.

Once subscribers have checked the box, GTE will include the $1 donation on each monthly bill as a line item. Funds collected will be distributed to qualified literacy organizations in Hawaii and nationwide.

Starting Dec. 1, anyone with Internet access may click on to GTE Directories' SuperPages.com Web site and make a donation to support literacy via the World Wide Web.

Participation is voluntary and virtually all donations from Hawaii will stay in Hawaii, GTE said. Spokesman for the Hawaii campaign is Lanikai resident Wally "Famous" Amos, who for the past 20 years has been a national spokesman for Literacy Volunteers of America.