 |
|
 |
|
|
|
Cell Phones for Soldiers to Turn Donated Phones Into 12 Million Calling Card Minutes for U.S. Troops This Year
DEXTER, Mich., March 2007 – Cell Phones for Soldiers hopes to turn old cell phones into more than 12 million minutes of prepaid calling cards for U.S. troops stationed overseas in 2007. To do so, Cell Phones for Soldiers expects to collect 15,000 cell phones each month through a network of more than 3,000 collection sites across the country.
The phones are sent to ReCellular, which pays Cell Phones for Soldiers up to $50 for each donated phone – enough to provide twenty-five hours of calling cards to soldiers abroad.
“Americans will replace an estimated 130 million cell phones this year,” says Mike Newman, vice president of ReCellular, “with the majority of phones either discarded or stuffed in a drawer. Most people don’t realize that the small sacrifice of donating their unwanted phones can have a tremendous benefit for a worthy cause like Cell Phones for Soldiers.”
Cell Phones for Soldiers was funded by teenagers Robbie and Brittany Bergquist from Norwell, Mass., with $21 of their own money. Since then, the registered 501c3 non-profit organization has raised almost $1 million in donations and distributed more than 75,000 prepaid calling cards to soldiers serving overseas.
“Cell Phones for Soldiers started as a small way to show our family’s appreciation for the men and women who have sacrificed the day-to-day contact with their own families to serve in the U.S. armed forces,” says the teens’ father, Bob Bergquist. “Over the past few years, we have been overwhelmed by the generosity of others. But, we have also seen the need to support our troops continue to grow as more troops are sent overseas for longer assignments.”
Through increased fundraising efforts, the Bergquist family hopes to raise more than $9 million in next five years to fund new programs, such as providing video phones and prepaid service to allow soldiers abroad to see their families on a regular basis.
Visit www.cellphonesforsoldiers.com for more information, including a list of donation and collection sites across the country.
Approximately half of the phones ReCellular processes are reconditioned and resold to wholesale companies in over 40 countries around the world. Handsets and components that cannot be refurbished are dismantled and recycled to reclaim valuable materials.
In 2007, ReCellular expects to recycle 1 million pounds of scrap phones and accessories. ReCellular works with recycling partners to reclaim materials from every component that is donated, including:
ReCellular has supported more than 2000 national and local charities since pioneering the Charity Cell Phone Donation Program. In 2007, ReCellular expects to raise $5 million for charities such as Cell Phones for Soldiers.
“One of the founding principles of ReCellular is to build a successful business that is both socially and environmentally responsible,” says Newman. “It is a great honor and privilege to support such a worthy and inspiring effort as the Bergquists’ Cell Phones for Soldiers.”
About ReCellular Inc.:
With offices in the United States, Hong Kong, and Brazil, ReCellular Inc. is the world’s foremost collector, reseller and recycler of used wireless phones and accessories. We provide solutions for the collection, reuse and recycling of used personal electronics that generate financial return for our partners, quality products for our customers, funding for charity organizations, and protection of the environment. Corporate and wholesale information is available at www.ReCellular.com. Consumer information, including the Cell Phone Data Eraser™ tool and charity fundraising information, is available at www.wirelessrecycling.com.