U.S. Cellular announced today that its “Community Connections” program is back for the third consecutive year to provide sponsorship support to local youth organizations. Since the program launched in 2015, the company has awarded nearly $900,000 in sponsorship dollars to more than 2,200 school groups and youth sports teams. Beginning today, academic and athletic groups (K-12) within U.S. Cellular’s markets can sign up at www.pearup.com/uscellular to participate in this program and become eligible to receive sponsorship from the company to go towards the needs of their group.

“U.S. Cellular is excited to continue supporting local youth organizations through Community Connections. This program rewards groups that provide youth with meaningful experiences and opportunities,” said Grant Leech, vice president of brand management at U.S. Cellular. “As we begin the third year of this program, it is clear that countless deserving organizations exist, and we are proud to be able to have a positive impact on the communities where we live and work.”

Through the Community Connections program, U.S. Cellular has sponsored thousands of local youth groups, school programs and sports teams, such as little leagues, youth soccer clubs, school dance teams and bands. Once an interested group signs up at the website, they have ten days to generate support from neighbors, friends, family and their community to earn money by completing simple tasks such as following U.S. Cellular on its social channels, watching a video or answering a short survey. This money goes directly to the organization or group, and each group can earn up to $1,000 that can be used towards uniforms, equipment or other program needs.

The Community Connections program is a collaboration between U.S. Cellular and Pear, an online platform that connects local brands with local community needs. In addition, in 2016 U.S. Cellular contributed $1.3 million to K-12 Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) focused education programs through its partnerships with Boys & Girls Clubs of America and National 4-H Council.

About U.S. Cellular

U.S. Cellular is the fifth-largest full-service wireless carrier in the United States, providing national network coverage and industry-leading innovations designed to elevate the customer experience. The Chicago-based carrier offers coverage where the other carriers don't and a wide range of communication services that enhance consumers’ lives, increase the competitiveness of local businesses and improve the efficiency of government operations. U.S. Cellular has the Highest Wireless Network Quality Performance in the North Central Region, according to the J.D. Power 2016 U.S. Wireless Network Quality Performance Study, and 99 percent of customers have access to 4G LTE speeds. To learn more about U.S. Cellular, visit one of its retail stores or uscellular.com. To get the latest news, promos and videos, connect with U.S. Cellular on Facebook.com/uscellular, Twitter.com/uscellular and YouTube.com/uscellularcorp.