Verizon Wireless Launches National HopeLine Law Enforcement Partnership Award Program

BEDMINSTER, NJ — Verizon Wireless today announced a new, national award program to recognize outstanding work done by local law enforcement agencies in preventing domestic violence. The HopeLine^SM Law Enforcement Partnership Award, honors the efforts of public safety organizations across the country committed to reducing domestic violence, providing support to victims, raising awareness of the issue and educating communities about domestic violence.

The inaugural award was presented to the New Orleans Police Foundation during a ceremony held yesterday in New Orleans. Steve Zipperstein, Verizon Wireless' general counsel and vice president, Legal and External Affairs, presented the award, along with a $10,000 financial grant to the Police Foundation. Verizon Wireless will present additional HopeLine Law Enforcement Partnership Awards throughout the year.

Zipperstein commented, "Verizon Wireless is proud to highlight the great work done by law enforcement organizations, such as the New Orleans Police Foundation and others across the country, for their efforts to reduce domestic violence. We work together with these groups every day on a wide range of public safety issues. Through our HopeLine program and this new award, we will continue to raise awareness of domestic violence and its consequences at home and in business, and most importantly, help the victims and those who support them."

Verizon Wireless' work with law enforcement and government agencies to support domestic violence prevention and awareness efforts in communities nationwide includes: donating high-speed BroadbandAccess Internet service to prosecutors, detectives and other personnel in local government domestic violence units; sponsoring phone collection drives in cooperation with local sheriff's and police departments; and partnering with several states' Attorneys General office to create campaigns around elder abuse, teen dating and other domestic violence issues.

Verizon Wireless created its long-running HopeLine program 10 years ago to put wireless products and services to work to prevent domestic violence and raise awareness of the issue. Today, the multi-faceted program includes a successful phone recycling and re-use effort, financial support for regional and national non-profit domestic violence organizations, community and corporate awareness programs, and partnerships with agencies, professional sports teams, educational institutions and corporations nationwide.

For additional information, visit the HopeLine Web site at www.verizonwireless.com/hopeline.  

(EDITORS NOTE: High-resolution stills of the HopeLine Award presentation are available online. Log on to Verizon Wireless' Multimedia Library at www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia to request images.)

About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless owns and operates the nation's most reliable wireless network, serving 43.8 million voice and data customers. Headquartered in Bedminster, NJ, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) and Vodafone (NYSE and LSE: VOD). Find more information on the Web at www.verizonwireless.com.  To preview and request broadcast-quality video footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.

####