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Verizon, InComm Retailers and the USO Team Up to Provide Free Phone Calls to Active Duty Military Personnel so They Can Stay in Touch With Loved Ones

Posted on: Tuesday, 16 June 2009, 07:00 CDT

Consumer Purchases of Prepaid Calling Cards Will Generate Free Matching Minutes; a Minimum of 1 Million Minutes Will Be Donated

NEW YORK, June 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Verizon, InComm Retailers and the USO are launching an initiative to let Americans demonstrate their appreciation for armed forces personnel serving America worldwide, just in time for the July 4 holiday.

From June 22 to July 4, consumer purchases of Verizon Prepaid Long Distance Phone Cards at participating local retailers will be matched by Verizon, on a minute-for-minute basis, and donated to active duty personnel for international and domestic long-distance calling in the form of 100-minute prepaid calling cards. The cards will be distributed by the USO to U.S. military men and women worldwide, with an emphasis on serving deployed troops in Iraq, Afghanistan and throughout Southwest Asia, as well as to wounded soldiers who are returning home.

Verizon will donate a minimum of 1 million minutes to the program.

"The prepaid calling cards continue to be a very useful way to keep our troops connected to their families, and we are excited to once again partner with Verizon and thank InComm retailers for providing their assistance," said Sloan Gibson, USO president and CEO. "With this support, the USO will continue to make a difference in the lives of our service men and women."

David Skogen, manager of Verizon's Prepaid Business Unit, said: "We are honored once again to create a win-win-win program for everyone involved, particularly the heroic men and women serving our country. By purchasing prepaid calling cards, consumers generate matching minutes for military men and women worldwide, which our friends at the USO deliver. These matching minutes enable our troops to stay in close touch with their friends and families and share news and developments with them, which is a critically important, morale-building benefit."

Participating InComm retailers include:

• Casey's General Stores
• Holiday Station Stores
• Jackson Food Stores
• Kum and Go
• Oasis Stop N Go LLC
• Twin Stops

As a leading communications provider to the federal government, Verizon throughout the year makes technology and resources available to military personnel and their families around the world.

About the USO

The USO (United Service Organizations) lifts the spirits of America's troops and their families. The USO is a nonprofit, charitable organization, relying on the generosity of the American people to support its programs and services. The USO is supported by Worldwide Strategic Partners AT&T Inc., BAE Systems, Booz Allen Hamilton, Inc., Clear Channel Communications, The Coca-Cola Company, Gallery Furniture, S & K Sales Co. and TriWest Healthcare Alliance. Other corporate donors, including the United Way and Combined Federal Campaign (CFC-11381), have joined millions of individual donors to support the USO. For more information, please visit our Web site at www.uso.org.

About Verizon

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE: VZ), headquartered in New York, is a global leader in delivering broadband and other wireless and wireline communications services to mass market, business, government and wholesale customers. Verizon Wireless operates America's most reliable wireless network, serving more than 86 million customers nationwide. Verizon's Wireline operations provide converged communications, information and entertainment services over the nation's most advanced fiber-optic network. Wireline also includes Verizon Business, which delivers innovative and seamless business solutions to customers around the world. A Dow 30 company, Verizon employs a diverse workforce of more than 237,000 and last year generated consolidated operating revenues of more than $97 billion. For more information, visit www.verizon.com.

About InComm

InComm is the industry leading marketer, distributor and technology innovator of stored-value gift and prepaid products using its state-of-the-art point-of-sale transaction technology and payment solutions to revolutionize retail product sales and customer experiences. With nearly $8 billion in retail sales transactions processed in 2007, InComm is the nation's largest provider of gift cards, prepaid wireless products, reloadable debit cards, digital music downloads, content, games, software and bill payment solutions. InComm partners with consumer brand leaders around the world to provide more than 145,000 retail locations the products and services their customers demand. Since 1992, InComm's patented technologies have made the buying process easier for consumers while streamlining the selling process for product and retail partners. To learn more about InComm, visit www.incomm.com or call 1.800.352.3084. InComm is headquartered in Atlanta with offices in Japan, Canada, the United Kingdom, Puerto Rico, Colorado, Texas, Florida, New Jersey, Oregon, Arkansas, Alabama, Minnesota and Mississippi. For more information, visit www.incomm.com.

VERIZON'S ONLINE NEWS CENTER: Verizon news releases, executive speeches and biographies, media contacts, high-quality video and images, and other information are available at Verizon's News Center on the World Wide Web at www.verizon.com/news. To receive news releases by e-mail, visit the News Center and register for customized automatic delivery of Verizon news releases.

SOURCE Verizon

Source: PR Newswire

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