Contacts:

Magdalena Moimoi

Marketing, Digicel Tonga

Mobile: +676 886 5314

Magdalena.Moimoi@digicelgroup.com

DIGICEL RETURNS FROM NZ AFTER SUCCESSFUL HEART OPERATION

14^th February Nuku’alofa, Tonga: 7 year old Sione Patolo Mata’u of Niuatoputapu, has finally returned from New Zealand after a successful heart operation thanks to generous donations through Digicel Tonga.  

It all began when Filipo Lemoto from Hala’ovave in Tonga, who shot to fame as the outright winner of the inaugural Digicel Stars talent competition, decided to use his new found profile to help raise funds for a life saving operation for one of his youngest fans Sione Patolo.The high-flying 24 year musician generously decided that his first public concert would be to raise funds for Sione Patolo who urgently needed an operation to replace a damaged heart mitral valve. Sione has now just returned to Tonga having recovered well from his heart operation which took place just before Xmas.

Sione Patolo and his family are very grateful to everyone who helped donate funds towards his heart operation including all anonymous donors. Management and staff of Billfish Bar and Restaurant generously helped organize Filipo’s first concert for raising funds to go towards covering the $50,000NZD required for Sione’s operation itself.

Sione Patolo and his family together with Digicel would like to especially thank Oceanic Communications Ltd (OCL) for the great support they have also shown by organizing Sione’s actual Trip to NZ. OCL generously organized the required Airline Tickets and much needed Accomodation for Sione, his mum and a member of Digicel staff to help them settle in for the operation.

Commercial Director Jack Bourke says “We were overwhelmed with the support from the Kingdom and wonderful businesses like OCL and Billfish Bar and Restaurant! Sione has now returned with a successful heart operation behind him. We wish him all the best and may he live his life to the fullest now!”

Thanks to all the support received by Digicel for Sione, he has now a brighter outlook on life as Doctor’s confirmed that Sione now has good chances of living up to another 60 to 70 years.

About Digicel

After nine years of operation, Digicel Group Limited has 11 million customers across its 32 markets in the Caribbean, Central America and the Pacific. The company is renowned for delivering best value, best service and best network.

Digicel is the lead sponsor of Caribbean, Central American and Pacific sports teams, including the Special Olympics teams throughout these regions. Digicel sponsors the West Indies cricket team and is also the title sponsor of the Digicel Caribbean. In the Pacific, Digicel is the proud sponsor of several national rugby teams and also sponsors the Vanuatu cricket team.

Digicel also runs a host of community-based initiatives across its markets and has set up Digicel Foundations in Jamaica, Haiti and Papua New Guinea which focus on educational, cultural and social development programmes.

In 2004, Digicel developed Digicel Rising Stars – an annual talent show to support aspiring young music artists in the Caribbean. The show has spanned the Eastern Caribbean, Haiti, Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago ranking as one of the top-rated shows.

Digicel is incorporated in Bermuda and its markets comprise: Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Aruba, Barbados, Bermuda, Bonaire, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Curacao, Dominica, El Salvador, Fiji, French Guiana, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Martinique, Nauru, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, St Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Suriname, Tonga, Trinidad & Tobago, Turks & Caicos and Vanuatu. Digicel also has coverage in St. Martin and St. Barts in the Caribbean.

Visit www.digicelgroup.com  for more information.