I sent a similar message requesting batteries to Mark Leckie, President of Duracell and Kara Salzillo Manager, Brand Communications, for Duracell.

I sent a similar message requesting batteries to Jacqueline Burwitz and Harriet Blickenstaff, the PR contacts for Energizer Holdings.

Mr. O'Keefe-- I'm a reporter for PRWeek Magazine in New York. I'm working on an article about the response of the PR industry to Katrina. I would be interested in your answers to the following:
- How has the response been to your requests so far?
- What more should members of the PR industry do at this point?
I will be filing my story by 3:30 eastern time today. If possible, please call me at 646-638-6032, or email me at hamilton.nolan@prweek.com.
Thank you,
Hamilton Nolan

I sent the following message to the Cellular Telecommunication Industry Association executive team, inquiring about pre-pad cell phones:

I am a Tulane University professor, Vice President of the International Association of Online Communicators (IAOC), and a refugee from New Orleans. I am writing due to news reports on Monday, September 5, in which General Russell Honore, who is handling the ground rescue in the Gulf Coast, pleaded for pre-paid cell phones to be dropped into New Orleans.

The CTIA represents all the cell phone manufacturers and wireless companies in the US. I am hoping that TODAY you will do everything in your power to get pre-paid cell phones into the stranded survivors in New Orleans. This is a matter of life and death. This is a time for heroics. Please do something and then tell us exactly what you are doing so we can post it on our blog.

Thanks For Your Efforts,
STEVE O'KEEFE

Sent the request for pre-paid cell phones to the leadership teams at these organizations:

CTIA: The Wireless Association
PCIA: The Wireless Infrastructure Organization
TIA: The Telecommunication Industry Association

In response to my e-mail seeking pre-paid cell phones, Jeremy Denton
Director of Industry Affairs for the PCIA -- The Wireless Infrastructure Association-- included my appeal in a blast e-mail to "over 11,000 wireless carriers, tower companies and vendors." Here's the message:

"PCIA has been asked by Tulane University to assist in finding and sending pre-paid mobile phones to the New Orleans area for use in the rescue effort of stranded victims of Hurricane Katrina. If you are interested in contributing to this effort, please contact Jeremy Denton, PCIA Director of Industry Affairs, for further information. mailto:jeremy.denton@pcia.com -- 703.535.7409"

It was not Tulane University that made this request -- it was me, a Tulane University College professor acting without sanction of the University. But I surely appreciate Mr. Denton's assistance bringing this need to the attention of mobile phone executives, and I would just like to add that they need these phones TODAY, so please call Mr. Denton to find out how to donate phones.