[June 21, 2004] Verizon Donates 5,000 Calling Cards to the USO WASHINGTON, June 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Verizon is donating 5,000 prepaid calling cards to the USO for distribution to wounded American service men and women recuperating in Army hospitals across the United States. Verizon will present the cards to USO officials at Walter Reed Medical Center in Washington, D.C., during a June 21 ceremony with Maj. Gen. Kevin C. Kiley, the commander of the Army's North Atlantic Regional Medical Command and Walter Reed Army Medical Center. (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20031119/USO ) The free domestic calling cards will be distributed by USO Centers around the country as a way to help service members far from home stay in touch with friends and family. Decorated with a patriotic design, the cards also double as a bookmark. USO president and CEO Edward A. Powell said: "As a nonprofit organization, the USO relies on donations from organizations that share our commitment and values. One of the most important services we provide is communication between troops and their loved ones, and we thank Verizon for its significant contribution to this effort." Verizon has a long-standing commitment to the armed forces, donating more than 450,000 cards during the past year to service men and women, and their families. About the USO For 63 years, the USO (United Service Organizations) has brought a touch of home to America's military personnel. The USO is a congressionally chartered, nonprofit organization and is not a government agency. The USO is supported by World Partners Amazon.com, Anheuser-Busch, AT&T, BAE SYSTEMS, Clear Channel Worldwide, Coca-Cola, ESPN, Lowe's, Morgan Stanley, Northwest Airlines, Ray-Ban, Sara Lee, S & K Sales Company, Ty Inc., USAA Foundation and The Walt Disney Company. Other corporate donors, including Walgreens and the United Way and Combined Federal Campaign (CFC-0600), have joined thousands of individual donors to support the USO. For more information on the USO, please visit our Web site at http://www.uso.org/. About Verizon A Dow 30 company, Verizon Communications is one of the world's leading providers of communications services, with approximately $68 billion in annual revenues. Verizon companies are the largest providers of wireline and wireless communications in the United States. Verizon is also the largest directory publisher in the world, as measured by directory titles and circulation. Verizon's international presence includes wireline and wireless communications operations and investments, primarily in the America's and Europe. For more information, visit http://www.verizon.com/. Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20031119/USOAP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/PRN Photo Desk, [email protected] USO CONTACT: Erica L. McClanahan of USO, +1-202-610-6471,[email protected]; Sandra Arnette of Verizon Communications,+1-202-392-1021, [email protected]; or A.J. Guenther,+1-703-883-9000, ext. 104, [email protected], for Verizon Communications Web site: http://www.uso.org/http://www.verizon.com/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]