ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.-A non-stop talking contest initiated in Albuquerque, N.M., by Leap Wireless International Inc.’s Cricket Communications Inc. subsidiary was still going strong after 72 hours as two contestants continued in a Motor Mouth Marathon for the chance to win a 2004 Mini Cooper, a Cricket phone, a free year of Cricket Unlimited service and a $5,000 donation in their name to the Albuquerque Ronald McDonald House.
The competition was being held at a local McDonald’s restaurant with the contestants, Kathy Jackson and Trudy Abeyta, being provided with mobile phones, food and Leap’s trademark green couches. The rules for the event included no sleeping, reading, singing, and no lulls in the conversation for more than 10 seconds with participants being monitored by a judge on a three-way call to ensure they continue to talk back and forth for 55 minutes of every hour.
“We are amazed at their stamina, and there are no signs of either one of them quitting anytime soon,” said Dennis Maguire, area general manager for Cricket in New Mexico and southern Arizona.
Similar contests in Nashville, Tenn., and Omaha, Neb., were conducted last weekend, while another event is planned for Dayton, Ohio May 30.
