Verizon Wireless Teams Up With McGruff "Safe Kids" Program To Help Parents Protect Local Children In New Jersey

MT. LAUREL, NJ — According to the U.S. Department of Justice, a child is reported missing or abducted every 40 seconds. That translates to more than 2,000 children per day and more than 800,000 per year. On Saturday, April 19, Verizon Wireless will host a Family Safety Day to celebrate the opening of its new evolution store located in the Cambridge Crossings Shopping Center, 4317 Dearborn Circle off Rt. 38 west, Mt. Laurel. Representatives from the McGruff ® Safe Kids Total Identification System program will be on site from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to provide free child abduction-prevention tools for parents, including identification cards and DNA collection kits, as well as digital fingerprinting for children in attendance.

The McGruff Safe Kids Total ID System is the leading, most comprehensive child safety/identification program available in the United States. It is the only digital child safety and identification program licensed by the National Crime Prevention Council.

"The most recent statistics on child abductions are staggering. Verizon Wireless is pleased to sponsor this important event that will enable parents to better protect their children," said Christine Baron, president of Verizon Wireless' Philadelphia Tri-State Region. "I encourage local families to take advantage of this free service and the potentially life-saving educational activities that we have planned for the day."

Each McGruff child safety package includes a full-sized laminated ID card that contains the child's 10 digital fingerprint images, digital color photo and vital personal information; two wallet-sized laminated ID cards that contain the child's digital thumbprint, color digital photo and vital personal information; a DNA self-collection kit; a McGruff Jr. crime fighter sticker badge and a McGruff envelope.

The Mt. Laurel grand opening will also feature food vendors, children's activities, music and an official ribbon-cutting to celebrate the 3,106 square-foot store, which is Verizon Wireless' third retail location in Burlington County. Store Manager Kelly DeFrancisco oversees a staff of eight full-time employees. The store features the full range of Verizon Wireless products and services and is fully staffed for customer service and technical support, allowing customers to speak with Verizon Wireless' highly trained representatives about all their wireless needs.

The store also provides a HopeLine® phone collection bin where anyone can donate no-longer-used wireless handsets and accessories. Through the award-winning Verizon Wireless HopeLine program, most of the donated handsets and equipment are refurbished and sold, with proceeds going to support domestic violence awareness and prevention programs. Remaining handsets are recycled in an environmentally friendly way.

For more information about the Mt. Laurel evolution store, call 856-778-0733. For additional details on Verizon Wireless locations, products and services, please visit www.verizonwireless.com. For more information on the McGruff ® Safe Kids Total Identification System, please visit http://corporate.mcgruff-tid.com.  

About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless operates the nation's most reliable wireless voice and data network, serving 65.7 million customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with 69,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ) and Vodafone (NYSE and LSE: VOD). For more information, go to: 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.  

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